Emeralds and Armor
by CallistosCrow
Summary: "I do not claim to be a seer," Ragnar continued. "But it eases my mind to know that one of my sons will end up with a woman as brave and beautiful as you are." Brynja is the daughter of the legendary shield-maiden, Brynhilde. Destined for greatness, there is only one battle that it seems Brynja cannot win-the battle over Ubbe's heart.
1. The Feast

**Hey y'all! I noticed that there are very few Vikings stories on here. So, I'm trying to make one! If you are interested in this story at all, PLEASE review! Reviews will motivate me to write more chapters!**

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Brynja breathed heavily as she dropped her sword to the ground. She was a good fighter—already well-known for her abilities in battle. She had been trained to fight since she was old enough to pick up a sword. Her father saw to it that she would live up to the legacy that her mother had left behind.

"Nice try, Ubbe. Maybe next time I will let you win," the shield-maiden joked as she worked to catch her breath.

Ubbe let out a small chuckle and wiped the sweat off his brow.

They spent a great deal of time out in the woods training with each other. And many times, after they had finished, they would lay on the ground, stare at the sky, and talk.

Ubbe had been Brynja's dearest friend for as long as she could remember. As a young girl, she had been raised around the sons of Ragnar. And Ubbe had always been her protector. She had often snuck away from her home late at night, when her father had become too much to bear. No matter the time she arrived, Ubbe always greeted her with a hug and shared his warm bed with her.

She was the first of many women that he would share a bed with. And most likely the only woman who had shared a bed with him without sharing her body with him. He was handsome, charming, and a son of Ragnar—which meant that he could easily take any woman he wanted.

Brynja collapsed on the ground. Her heart still raced from the training that she and Ubbe had just finished. She closed her eyes as she felt him take a seat next to her.

"How does it feel to have your father back?" She knew this was a subject that she should tread lightly on. Ragnar had just returned the day before, and she was curious. She wondered how she would feel if her own legendary mother returned one day, but she knew that would never happen.

The man grunted and shrugged his shoulders. "He asked me to travel with him to England".

"And are you going to?" Brynja asked. Ragnar's request did not surprise her.

"No," Ubbe replied shortly.

She decided to drop the conversation. She could tell that he did not want to talk about the return of his father.

"Ask me a question," she spouted out of nowhere.

Ubbe grinned and looked over at the dark-haired shield-maiden. Every time they sat down to have these talks, she would request that he ask her a question. Regardless of the fact that he knew almost everything about her.

"Do you ever think about what your mother would say about you? Whether or not she would be proud?"

Silence thickened the air as she contemplated the question.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But it is different for me than it is for you and Ragnar. Ragnar has been gone for many years, but he was here when you were a child. I do not even know what my mother looked like. My hope is that I will see her in Valhalla."

Through the corner of her eye, Brynja could see Ubbe nod his head at her answer.

The two laid together again in silence as they both thought about their families.

"I have not a single doubt that your father is proud of you, Ubbe." She spoke up, reading his mind. "You are a great man."

For the first time since she had laid down, she turned her head to look at Ubbe. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was deep in thought.

"May I tell you a secret?" Brynja smirked. Ubbe's eyes met with hers and he nodded his head. "Out of all of Ragnar's sons, I must say that you are the best."

Ubbe chuckled pulling his friend close for a hug. "That is no competition," he chuckled as her head rested in the crook of his neck. She laughed at his joke and closed her eyes as she relaxed against him. In the split of a second, he brought his fist around to the side of her head, and began rubbing it into her hair rapidly, knotting it up.

He burst out laughing as she rose from her position on his shoulder and smacked him hard on the chest.

"Why do you do that," she fussed as she used her fingers to try to take out the knots that Ubbe had just put in her hair.

Still laughing, he replied "It looks good that way."

Though it aggravated her, Brynja could not help but smirk. His laugh was infectious.

"We must go," she stated as she finally quit detangling her hair, hoping she had gotten all the large tangles, and that her hair was laying down the way it was supposed to.

Ubbe, still laying in his position, looked up at her. A chunk of her knotted hair was shaped like a wing on the top of her head. He smirked at her as he rose to a sitting position.

"Come closer," he said. "If people see us walking out of the forest with your hair like that, they will think we were pleasuring each other".

Her cheeks begin to burn a rosy color as soon as the word "pleasure" left his lips. She leaned over just enough so that he could fix her hair. Once he was done, she stood quickly and offered him her hand.

The friends talked as they walked through the woods—discussing the dinner that would be held tonight in the honor of Ragnar.

* * *

Brynja sat beside Ubbe as dinner was served. Because of her relationship with Ragnar's sons and the legacy of her mother, she often sat at the table with them at special events.

As she sat there, she could not help but stare at Ragnar. She felt like she was looking at Odin himself. His sad eyes scanned the room as though he wanted to be anywhere else at the moment. When his eyes met hers, her heart stopped dead in her chest. He stared at her for what seemed like eternity—as though he was looking deep inside her soul and navigating through all of her wildest dreams and darkest fears.

And then his eyes dropped to the table as he reached for his drink. Chills ran down her spine as her eyes rushed around the room, searching for anything to look at—besides Ragnar Lothbrok.

The sons were discussing their newest slave, Margrethe. They all seemed to take a liking to her, and as Brynja looked at the girl serving drinks, she could see why. Her long blonde hair shined against her sun-kissed skin, and her eyes seemed as those of a child—making the girl look innocent.

Brynja looked down and picked at her own dress in insecurity. She wondered if any man had ever looked at her the way that they looked at Margrethe. She wondered if her dark hair was admirable at all to men, if her green eyes ever plagued a boy's mind late at night. She was most insecure about her body. Margrethe's figure was petite and flawless. Brynja's body was thicker due to her large breasts and muscles. Her legs and stomach were covered in scars.

Though she had not been listening closely to what was being said at the table. She had managing to catch word that Margrethe had accompanied all of Ragnar's sons to bed, with the exception of Bjorn. This, of course meant that she had been with Ubbe. The idea of Ubbe being intimate with any woman other then herself made Brynja feel as though the weight of the world had landed on her heart.

She couldn't deny that she had feelings for Ubbe. All the women did. She had hoped that someday they would be much more than friends. But, she was not confident in herself enough to tell Ubbe about her feelings towards him. She knew he had bedded many girls. And most of them she believed to be much more beautiful than her. She also had never been intimate with a man, unlike Margrethe. She knew she would not know how to satisfy him the way that Margrethe knew how to satisfy him.

"Brynja!" a voice shouted as someone shook her shoulder as though to wake her from a dream. She left her thoughts behind her as she looked up to see Bjorn's hand on her shoulder. "May I speak with you in private?" he asked.

She nodded her head as she excused herself from the table and followed Bjorn. Once they were away from the crowd, he turned to face her.

"Brynja," he began. "I have an offer for you." He looked in her eyes as he spoke. "I plan to sail to the Roman Empire. Floki is preparing the boats. I know that you dream of living in your mother's footsteps. It would be an honor for you to join me on this voyage."

Brynja was stunned by his offer. It is true that she wanted to be a warrior and traveler that her mother would be proud of. But a large part of her feared what might happen if she left for a long period of time.

"It is quite an offer," she stated. "But when do you plan to leave?"

Bjorn seemed to consider her question before he answered. "The boats are not yet finished. It will be two new moons before we leave."

Thoughts overtook her mind as she searched to provide Bjorn with an answer. Silence surrounded them as he watched her reaction.

"May I have some time to consider this, Bjorn?" She hesitantly asked. "I am so thankful for your offer. But, I must consider whether or not this is my fate."

"Of course," Bjorn laid his hand on her shoulder—providing a sense of comfort. "Take all the time you need. There will always be room for you on my ship if you decide to come with me."

* * *

Brynja stood in the corner of the room as she looked at the feast. It hardly seemed like a celebration. She assumed it was because Ragnar had been gone for so long.

She was still thinking about her discussion with Bjorn that took place only minutes ago. As much as she didn't want to admit it, what she feared most about leaving was that Ubbe might forget her. What if he were to marry Margrethe while she was away? She chuckled at her own jealousy and shook the thought away. She knew Margrethe was a temporary interest. He would become bored of her, just as he had become bored of the women he bedded before her.

"You have grown into a strong and beautiful woman," A voice spoke up from behind her. She quickly turned her head and her eyes met the same eyes that had caused chills to travel down her spine earlier. "You look just like your mother."

"Thank you," Brynja replied meekly. Her shyness caused Ragnar to smirk.

"My sons seem fond of you," he stated.

"Some of them are," she answered honestly. "Some of them are not".

Ragnar chuckled at the young woman's words. His eyes lit up as he continued to talk to her. "You would make a good wife for one of them someday," even in the dim lighting he could see color begin to appear on Brynja cheeks. "I had always assumed it would be Bjorn that you would marry. You both have thee same kind of fire inside you. But Ubbe seems to talk a great deal about you."

"Ubbe and I are friends," she stated quickly as her face grew hotter with embarrassment. "And Bjorn is with Torvi."

"You are friends for now," Ragnar said. "Ubbe is young and naïve. But with age he will grow to see the beauty in you, and the dullness in the many women that have entertained him in bed. You have earned his heart. They have not. His views will change."

Ragnar smiled at her as she looked across the room, watching Ubbe whisper into Margrethe's ear. He could see the pain and yearning in the young shield-maiden's eyes. And though he did not enjoy seeing her sad, he found comfort in the fact that his son had attracted the attention of such a woman. He had heard that Ubbe and Brynja spent day after day together training. And he himself saw them laughing as they emergerd from the woods right before the feast. The two reminded him of the relationship he once shared with Lagertha.

"I do not claim to be a seer," Ragnar continued. "But it eases my mind to know that one of my sons will end up with a woman as brave, beautiful, and kind as you are."

And before she could reply, Ragnar was gone.


	2. The Barn

**Just so everyone knows, I realize that the sequence of events is a bit off in my story. It is necessary for my plot. There is a time gap that I am creating between Ragnar's arrival and Bjorn's departure, so that Brynja's relationship with Ubbe can grow.**

 **If you would like to see more chapters, please review. If I do not get reviews, I will lose my interest in writing this story.**

 **And all reviews are appreciated-whether it be comments, questions, or criticism.**

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Brynja had yet to give Bjorn an answer as to whether or not she would accompany him on his journey. She had debated amongst herself, but hadn't been able to make a decision.

She also had seen less of Ubbe recently. The rumors around Kattegat had led her to believe that he had been spending more time with Margrethe. Many of the slaves gossiped about seeing Margrethe leaving Ubbe's bed chambers nearly every night.

Despite how hard she tried to ignore it, the envy and hatred she had for Margrethe was beginning to grow out of control. It was clear to Brynja at this point that the blonde-haired slave was not someone Ubbe would merely grow tired of.

She had sought for comfort from her dear companion, Ashilda. Ashilda was a blonde slave with a square jaw and bright, blue eyes.

"It feels silly to be heartbroken over a man who I have never even had," Brynja confided. "Just seeing Margarethe sends me into a rage of envy. I would like nothing better than to see her at the end of my sword. It is so childish of me to wish death upon a woman because she has taken the man I dream of."

"You are not the only woman in Kattegat who smiles at the thought of thrusting a sword straight into that witch's stomach," Ashilda said through gritted teeth. She herself had experienced the pain of Margrethe sleeping with the man she desired, Hvitserk.

"Unfortunately, it appears to be the men that are thrusting into her," Brynja retorted. Causing her young, blonde friend to throw her head back with laughter.

"You speak the truth," Ashilda giggled as she began braiding a piece of the shield-maiden's hair. "Would you like my advice?"

"Yes," Brynja replied. Willing to do almost anything to spend as much time with Ubbe as she used to.

"Ubbe is attracted to Margrethe because she pleases him in bed. They do not share a bond like you have with Ubbe. If I were you, I would accompany him to bed and show him that i could please him as Margrethe does," Ashilda smirked.

Brynja's lips began to droop into a frown. "I have not been with a man before. I do not know how to please him like Margrethe pleases him."

Ashilda continued to braid her friend's hair in silence as she sought out the advice she should give.

"I could see how that complicates things," Ashilda began. "But men take pride in bedding a virgin. No other man has had you. Ubbe will feel as though you are his and only his. Margrethe cannot give him that satisfaction."

Brynja thought deeply about the advice she was given. If she were to give her virginity to any man, she would want it to be Ubbe. Especially if that caused him to leave the blonde-haired slave and return to her.

"How do I ask him?" Brynja asked Ashilda.

"You do not ask him," Ashilda replied as she finished braiding the dark colored hair. "You pursue him."

"What do you mean?" Brynja questioned again. Her hand reached up to touch her freshly braided hair.

Ashilda chuckled slightly at her friend's persistent questions. She was shocked that the shield-maiden was so naive when it came to intimacy. "Stand closer to him, touch him more, wear a dress that reveals your body to him, kiss him, rub your hand against his manhood…"

"Ashilda!" Brynja shouted before the slave had even finished speaking. Her entire face grew red from the boldness of her friend, causing Ashilda to giggle.

"Do not ask a question if you cannot accept the answer," the blonde said as she continued to laugh. She then became serious once more. "It is just my advice. Do not go to bed with Ubbe if you do not want to. Giving a man your virginity is special. You must be sure that he deserves it."

* * *

Brynja had went through all of her dresses that day, yet none of them had made her body look desirable in her opinion.

She had finally settled on a green dress that she hoped matched her emerald colored eyes. The neck of the dress plunged just low enough so that Ubbe would see a hint of her breasts. Ashilda had earlier styled her hair into a dark braid that reached past her ribs.

As hard as she had tried to look beautiful, she felt as though she could never compare to the light-haired slave who seemed to have won Ubbe's heart.

But she was determined to at least try to retrieve the attention of her attractive best friend.

Brynja suddenly realized that the man she had yearned for, for years was going to see her body tonight. His hands would be touching her scarred skin instead of Margrethe's smooth body.

Her hand immediately reached to cover her torso as she remembered all of the flaws that plagued her body.

She wondered what it must be like to have beautiful flesh that had not felt the nick of many blades.

 _This is no different than a battle_ , Brynja tried to encourage herself. _You never win a war if you do not believe in your abilities._

* * *

Brynja found herself walking aimlessly around Kattegat as she searched for Ubbe.

"Brynja!" she heard a voice call in the distance. Searching around her, her eyes quickly landed on Ivar, who seemed to be crawling in her direction. Sighing softly, she knew that Ivar did not typically want her attention unless he was looking to stir up trouble. However, she stood as she waited for him to catch up with her.

"And what are you dressed up for?" Ivar questioned the shield-maiden. He had never seen her try so hard to look so beautiful. He knew that there must be a reason for it.

Though he had never liked Brynja, he had to admit that she had a beauty to her that few other women possessed. She looked just as beautiful covered in mud and blood after training, as she did at the moment in her dress with her hair puller back into an extravagant braid. Her beauty was natural and flawed, in a flawless sort of way. She never aimed to steal glances from men. In fact, she never seemed to even realize that men looked at her.

Ignoring the question that Ivar had asked her, she asked him if he knew where she might find Ubbe.

Ivar's eyes lit up as he realized that Brynja had dressed up to seek attention from his brother.

"I believe I saw him earlier with the boars and the hens," Ivar grinned. "If you hurry, you might be able to catch him."

"Thank you, Ivar" Brynja kindly spoke as she nodded her head at Ivar, signaling that she was leaving him to find Ubbe.

As the brunette began to walk away, a cheeky smile appeared on Ivar's face. He had not lied about where his brother was. But he also had not told Brynja that the boars and the chickens were not Ubbe's only company.

* * *

Stepping over a piglet,Brynja still had not seen Ubbe. As she made her way closer the barn, a strange feeling began to arise in the pit of her stomach. She wondered why Ivar had so kindly given her the location of his brother. Never in her life could she remember Ivar helping her out of the kindness of his heart.

As she inched closer to the building, she began hearing noises that she did not think came from a pig or a hen. The noises were high-pitched, quiet, and rhythmic.

Brynja knew at that moment that she should turn around and go home. But, her body would not allow her to do so. As she peered through a hole in the side of the wall, her heart nearly fell on the ground.

Amongst the hay, Brynja could clearly see the backside of Margrethe as the blonde was straddling a man. Her hips rocked back and forth as moans escaped her lips. Brynja could not see who the man was, and at the moment she prayed to any god willing to listen. She prayed that it was anyone else beneath Margrethe than her beloved Ubbe.

Suddenly, Margrethe's body tensed up for a moment. Then she rested on top of the man she had just made love to.

As Margrethe moved to lower herself, Brynja saw a heavily-breathing Ubbe laying between the slave's legs.

Tears began to drip down Brynja's cheeks. The breath that she had been holding in forr the past moment seemed lodged in her throat.

Brynja had never ran away from anything before. But at that moment, she could do nothing but run.

* * *

Ivar waited patiently to see Brynja or Ubbe. He had only moved a few feet from where he was when he had told the woman where she might find his brother.

It had only taken a matter of minutes for Brynja to reemerge from the barn.

Ivar stared at the woman. She eyes seem swollen and a hand was up by her face. He assumed that she was wiping away tears. Her other hand rested on her rib, making her look as though she had either just ran a mile or had just finished a battle. Her chest heaved. Ivar could not determine whether it was from being out of breath or if silent sobs were trying to escape her throat.

He had never seen Brynja in this sort of state. Despite having a mother who died when she was born and a father whose insanity and grief led him to hang himself, Brynja always managed to stay composed. She never showed any sign of weakness. No matter how much pain she felt. And at the moment, Ivar could not recall a time that he had seen anyone look weaker.

* * *

Brynja had ran as fast as she could, but her insides felt as though they had been ripped out. She wasn't sure when she had stopped moving, or even where she was. But at some point, she had just collapsed—unable to move anymore.

As she sat alone with tears building up in the corners of her swollen eyes, she tried to reason with herself.

 _I knew they were sleeping together. I have no excuse for being this upset._

Her head began to ache. And, though she did not realize it, the sun was setting.

 _Ubbe would never look at me the way he looks at Margrethe. I am just his friend. I am just Brynja._

She rested her head in her hands as she tried to find the strength to stand up and walk home.

It was then that felt a hand against her back. Startled, she jumped and then she quickly twisted to see who was behind her.

Slowly, Ragnar took a seat next to the shield-maiden.

They sat in silence for a moment. Brynja did not plan on speaking, and Ragnar was searching for the right words to comfort the young woman.

"I would ask you what my son did," he broke the silence. "But if he is like me at all, I already know."

A sob escaped Brynja's throat as she buried her head into her hands once more.

"Margrethe will only disappoint him. If you love my son, all you must do is wait. He does not realize the difference between love and lust. But he will learn."

His hand rubbed the young woman's back as she shook with sadness. Even with the wisdom he had acquired over the years, he never quite mastered the art of handling a crying woman. But he knew that as a shield-maiden with her reputation, she probably did not want anyone seeing her crying.

He patted Brynja on the back. "Ubbe will regret this," he stated as if it were a commonly known fact. And then he stood up and walked away.


	3. The Woods

**Hi, everyone! More people are starting to favorite and follow the story! Thank you for that! I am totally stoked!**

 **As always, PLEASE leave a review. I get so excited when I see that someone has left me a review to read.**

 **I tried to upload this chapter last night, but for some reason it kept saying there was an error.**

 **WARNING: There is a sex scene in this Chapter. ;)**

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 **Chapter 3- The Woods**

Brynja and Ubbe had not spoken for days. She had avoided him since she had seen him with Margrethe.

She was not sure what she would do if he crossed her path. But she did not want him to see her tears.

Brynja had been considering Bjorn's offer. Now that she knew Margrethe had captured Ubbe's heart, she saw little reason to stay in Kattegat.

She sat in the woods alone, picking apart pieces of grass as she was deep in thought. It was not long before sunset. Usually, she would be training with Ubbe at this moment. But, he no longer met her in these woods. They no longer laid on the ground and had deep conversations like they used to.

She had accepted that Ubbe was not part of her fate. In fact, she was beginning to accept the fact that it was possible that the gods did not intend for her to be fated with any man. Perhaps she would be like Lagertha. The legendary shield-maiden had only been burned by the men she loved. Yet she had managed to conquer the world on her own.

But Brynja did not want to fight until the day she was fated to die. She felt that there must be more to life than blood, and wars, and loss. She wanted children. She wanted a family—unlike the empty home that she had lived in as a child.

"What is the matter with you?" a voice came from behind her. She did not need to look so that she could see who was speaking. She knew that voice better than she knew her own.

"What is the matter with you," Brynja retorted in a dull manner. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I have not seen you in many days," Ubbe began. "Have I upset you?"

"No," her icy tone was short and quick. She had yet to move an inch since Ubbe arrived, but she could feel her entire body tensing up with each passing moment.

Ubbe huffed. He knew he had obviously angered her somehow. "If that is the case, let us train."

"You do not want to fight me today," Brynja warned. She hoped that he would just go away, but that was not the case.

He came closer to her—determined to find out what was bothering his friend. He took his foot and pushed her against the ribs: Not hard enough to hurt her, but with enough force to cause her body to move.

"Leave me be," Brynja said through gritted teeth. Tears were threatening to build up in her eyes.

He shoved her with his foot again, slightly harder than he had the first time.

Boiling with anger, Brynja jumped to her feet. _If he is so determined to fight, then I will give him a fight_ , the shield-maiden thought to herself.

"Get your sword," she barked as she went to pull out her own.

The two circled each other, waiting for the other one to strike first. Finally, Ubbe made the first blow.

As their swords clanked together, Ubbe begin to worry. Brynja was fighting him with a strength that he had never seen her possess before. He knew that the power behind her sword was fueled by rage. Her anger towards him was evident throughout her face.

While he was deep in thought, he blundered with his sword—allowing Brynja the opportunity to strike. Her blade touched against his upper arm, slicing open a gash in his flesh.

Throughout their years of training and practicing, she had never nicked Ubbe with her blade. His eyes grew wide, shocked that she was angry enough to inflict pain.

She stood with her sword ready—waiting for Ubbe to make a move. A part of her felt guilty for wounding him, but another part of her felt justified. _What did he expect when he provoked a warrior who was already angry with him?_

What Ubbe did next, no amount of training could ever have prepared her for.

He dropped his sword to the ground, and opened his arms wide as if to surrender.

Brynja froze, sword in hand. She was unsure what to do at this point. She knew that if she dropped her sword, she would be left emotionally defenseless.

"What are you doing?" worry filled her voice as she saw the man stepping closer and closer to her. "Stop," she demanded as he moved to where he was only inches away from her.

Before she could grasp what was happening, she felt two strong arms wrap around her. Her face was nearly buried in Ubbe's chest. She wanted to push him away. But, she could not muster up the courage to do so. Instead, she felt her grip on her sword loosen, and she heard it hit the ground with a thud.

Tears started streaming down her face and a sob escaped her throat. She had never felt so much sorrow and so much joy at the same time.

He used his thumb the caress her hair. His heart broke as he held Brynja. He wished he could take away all her pain.

He felt her body move against him.

She turned her head so that she could look at him. His beautiful blue eyes met hers and he slowly moved his thumb downward to wipe the tears off her cheeks. As she felt him wiping away the stray tear rolling down her face, a feeling began to churn low in her stomach. At first, she assumed that it was anger beginning to build up again. But it was not anger. It was a feeling that she had never experienced before.

Surprising even herself, her lips crashed against his. He hungrily deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer by her waist.

Her hand reached down, tugging against his shirt. "Ubbe," she broke the kiss.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Ubbe questioned.

"Yes," she answered softly.

Ubbe slowly removed his shirt and dropped it carelessly on the ground. His hands once again found their place around her waist.

Brynja had seen his chest probably a hundred times. He often took his shirt off while they trained on hot days. But this time, it somehow seemed different.

She rested her hand against his chest as she kissed him again slowly.

Breaking away from the kiss, she turned around and closed her eyes. She could feel Ubbe's warm fingers as he began to undo her dress.

Suddenly, the dress loosened. She could feel his lips press against her neck as he pulled the dress down, revealing her breasts, and then the rest of her body.

She turned to face him slowly. Her hand automatically rose to cover her scarred torso.

Now face to face, he stared into her eyes before looking at her body.

Out of the many women he had bedded, he could not remember ever seeing breasts as perfect as hers. They were large, yet perky. Her small nipples were smooth, as if they had been created from rose petals.

As his eyes trailed down further, he noticed the placement of her hand. He looked into her eyes again and could see that they were full of insecurity and doubt.

He softly grabbed her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers as her hand moved to reveal her stomach.

His eyes glanced over each scar, and the longer he looked—the more insecure she felt. She suddenly had the urge to put her dress back on.

"Beautiful," he stated as he squeezed her hand. His lips met hers again before they began to travel down her neck.

He laid her on the ground slowly, making sure not to scrape her with a rock or a twig.

His lips then found their way to her breast. She moaned as she felt his lips wrap around her nipple.

Thoughts raced through her mind. She was scared and so unsure of what was happening. Yet, she had never been so happy in her life. The mere feeling of his warm chest against hers was pure bliss.

As his lips trailed lower and lower, she became more nervous. She arched her back as he planted a kiss on her hipbone.

His face was soon buried deep between her legs. Her fingers ran through his hair as he continued to pleasure her.

Once he had finished, he lifted himself so that he was eyelevel with Brynja.

"Do you want to go further?" He asked the woman beneath him.

Brynja nodded her head—too nervous to speak.

"Are you sure?" he asked her again. He had never asked Brynja if she had been bedded before, but the men often bragged about the women that they had been with. And, he had never heard a man brag about sleeping with her.

As many women as he had pleasured, he had never been with a virgin. Sweat grew on his brow as he thought about it. Suddenly, the man who had slept with more women than he could count was worried that he did not know what he was doing.

He pressed a kiss against her lips. "It will hurt at first, and you will bleed," he warned her. "But I will be gentle."

Brynja managed to give him a nervous smile to signal that she understood.

Ubbe began to shuffle on top of her. Brynja assumed that it was to pull off his remaining clothing. But she was too focused on what was about to happen to pay much attention.

He then returned to his position above her. Brynja let out a small gasp as she felt his hard manhood rubbing between her legs.

He lowered himself and his lips locked with hers. As she felt him deepen the kiss, she kissed him back with just as much hunger.

Suddenly, she felt him enter her. He did it quick and all at once. The pain caused her to let out a yelping noise as she dug her fingernails into his back.

Knowing that she was in pain, Ubbe froze inside her—afraid that moving even a centimeter might cause her to hurt.

"Should I stop? He questioned as he looked down at her.

Her breathing was unsteady. "No," she answered. "I will be okay".

Ubbe nodded his head before placing a kiss on her forehead.

He began to thrust again, and she groaned in pain—causing him to slow his pace down even more.

As the slow thrusting continued, the pain lessened. Brynja was even beginning to enjoy the feeling of having him inside her.

A moan escaped her lips as her hands traveled down to Ubbe's lower back.

Hearing her moan, Ubbe grinned. He knew that it was not a sound of pain.

Brynja's hands found their way back to Ubbe's shoulders as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The deeper thrusting was causing her to moan louder.

His rhythm began to quicken.

At this point she brought her hand up to touch his face. They locked eyes as their bodies continued to grind against each other. His breathing was uneven and heavy. His brow was furrowed together.

She kissed him as she felt his body tense up against her.

As the thrusts stopped, they continued to kiss. He laid above her like that for minutes before slowly pulling himself out and rolling over beside her.

Out of breath, neither one of them moved. They stared up at the sky as flashbacks of what they had just finished doing played through their heads.

"Come here," Ubbe said breathlessly. He opened his arm and she gladly accepted the offer by resting her head on his chest.

* * *

Brynja did not know how long they had been asleep. She dressed herself quietly as she admired Ubbe's sleeping figure.

She wondered if anyone had seen them cuddling naked in the woods. A small part of her hoped that someone had. And she hoped that it was Margrethe.

She smiled as she thought to herself.

 _He chose me_. She smiled. _He is mine now._

She wondered how he would go about telling Margrethe that he was finished with her. She wondered if this meant that she would be sharing a bed with him often.

Now completely dressed, she knew that she had to wake Ubbe.

As she bent down next to him, the soreness between her legs seemed to worsen. She looked over at the spot where she had been laying while they were making love. She hoped that he wouldn't notice the blood-stained grass. Even though she knew that many girls bled the first time they were with a man, the blood embarrassed her.

Her hand caressed the side of his face. "Ubbe," she practically whispered.

His eyes fluttered open and he greeted her with a sleepy smile as his hand reached up to touch hers.

She could feel the butterflies race through her stomach. "You must get up," she chuckled. "Someone has probably already seen us out here."

"So what if they have," he grinned as he raised to a sitting position.

"Lagertha is coming today," Brynja stated.

"How long were we out here?" he chuckled as he stood up. He began putting his clothes on.

"I do not know," she laughed. "But it is either late into the night or early into the morning."

* * *

"Have you decided if you are going with Bjorn?" Ubbe asked as the two strolled through town. He always walked her to wherever she intended to go when they would come back from the woods.

" I do not think I will go with him," she responded as a smile grew on her face. "There are better things for me here than there are at the Roman empire."

Once they had reached their destination, they stopped.

"Thank you," Ubbe grabbed her hand. "For letting me be the first."

Brynja squeezed his hand as she responded. "Thank you. You made it unforgettable."

"I will see you tonight at the feast," Ubbe grinned. She nodded her head as he let go of her hand.

* * *

 **Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I know that Brynja seems naïve right now, but Ubbe is the first man she has ever cared for. I think we were probably all a bit naïve the first time we experienced love.**

 **Also, while things seem to be going well for Brynja at the moment, I can promise you that some twists are coming in the next few chapters!**


	4. The Truth

**Hey Guys! Sorry I didn't get this chapter out sooner. A woman I cared a great deal about passed away this week. So, I've kinda been dealing with that.**

 **But I'm back. And... I plan on posting a new chapter every day as long as I keep getting REVIEWS.**

 **By the way, I know this chapter is short... but a TON of stuff happens in this measly, little chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4- The Truth**

As Brynja sat beside Ubbe, she watched carefully for Bjorn. He was leaving for Rome the next day. Which meant that she should tell him that she would not be joining him on this adventure.

Margrethe seemed to be spending the majority of the night with Ivar, but she did not seem to be enjoying his company.

Brynja could not help but notice that Ubbe looked over at Margrethe frequently.

 _He is thinking about how he will tell her he does not want to be with her anymore,_ Brynja assured herself. _He is too kind to leave her with no explanation_.

As soon as Brynja saw Bjorn, she excused herself from the table, and made her way towards him.

"Bjorn," she called out as she caught up to him. "May we speak?"

Before Bjorn could reply, the doors opened to reveal Lagertha.

Smiling, Bjorn put his hand on Brynja's shoulder. "Yes," he answered. "But first, let's greet my mother."

Bjorn grabbed her hand and began to approach Lagertha.

"Mother," Brynja had never seen Bjorn look so happy. He wrapped his arms tightly around his mother.

"Lucky am I to see my son depart for his destiny," Lagertha returned the hug.

Bjorn then went on to greet Astrid, Harald, and Halfdan.

"Brynja," King Harald smirked. "Last time I saw you, you were just a little thing carrying around a sword almost as tall as you were." Brynja laughed with him. "You have grown into a beautiful woman."

She blushed as she thanked him.

"Come meet my brothers," Bjorn requested as he led Harald and Halfdan to the table where Brynja had been sitting earlier.

"Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar," Bjorn introduced each of his brothers. "Hvitserk is coming with us."

"I remember you," Harald said. "I remember all of you." He looked over the men standing in front of him. "And how you've all grown tall! You are not boys anymore."

"I am so much taller when I stand up," Ivar spoke.

"I am sure you wish you could come with us," Halfdan sympathized. An awkward silence filled the air.

"Go to hell," Ivar smiled as he lifted his drink. The men began to chuckle.

"Brynja," Harald used her as an excuse to change the conversation. "Have none of these fine men made you their companion?"

Her cheeks flushed as she quickly tried to think of something light hearted to say—but nothing came to mind. "No," she stated simply, adding on a small chuckle at the end.

"What fools!" Harald exclaimed. "I would make you a queen tomorrow if you would have me!"

Brynja laughed but did not say anything. She was unsure whether or not he was making a statement or a proposition.

As Halfdan and Harald's attention was stolen away by Floki, Bjorn suddenly remembered that Brynja had wanted to tell him something.

"What is it that you needed?" Bjorn softly grabbed her shoulder as he spoke.

"I do not think that I can go with you," Brynja began to explain. "Something has happened, and I am afraid that if I leave with you now, I will ruin the destiny that I have been praying for."

Bjorn patted her shoulder and gave her a sad smile. "I am sad, but I understand."

"I know you will accomplish greatness," Brynja hated feeling like she had disappointed someone. "I will pray to the gods for your safety."

* * *

Once the blood sacrifice had finished, Brynja had decided to make her way to Ubbe's bed chambers before returning to her own bed. She assumed that he might want to share his bed with her. And she was eager to make love to him on a soft surface, instead of the hard ground in the middle of the woods.

As she went to knock on his door, it flew open. Brynja's eyes locked with the eyes of a pretty blonde servant. The two stared at each other for a while. Long enough for Brynja to notice that Margrethe's hair looked unkempt and her dress had not been tied correctly.

A shirtless Ubbe then appeared behind Margrethe. Seeing this as the perfect moment to escape, Margrethe quickly left.

"I do not understand," Brynja did her best to push back the anger and tears that were quickly building up.

Ubbe sighed as he searched for the right words to say. "Come in," he suggested as he opened the door.

She followed him inside the room, staring at the bed that she knew he and Margrethe had just been in.

"I am going to free her," Ubbe said bluntly.

At this point, Brynja could not believe what she was hearing.

"Do you not realize that she has slept with all of your brothers?"

Ubbe's cheeks reddened. "She is a slave," he reasoned. "She does not have a choice."

The two stood there in silence as Brynja tried to comprehend what was happening.

"So," she paused. She did not even want to hear the words she was about to speak. "You are going to free her." Her hands balled into fists as she spoke. She finally understood his logic. "And then you are going to marry her?"

"If she will have me," Ubbe did not look into Brynja's eyes. His head faced the ground as he spoke.

"If she will have you?" Brynja let out an icy laugh. "She has already had you… As well as every other man in Kattegat."

Brynja's words caused Ubbe to quickly anger.

"If you thought that last night meant that I loved you, I am sorry. If I had known that you thought so much of it, I never would have bedded you."

Brynja's heart dropped to the floor. What Ubbe had said stung as if she had been hit by an arrow.

"That is fine," her voice shook as she spoke. "We can both pretend it never happened."

Brynja had stormed out of his door before he could even reply.

* * *

Brynja knocked on the door with force. Her body still shook from the fight that she had with Ubbe. She wasn't sure why she was standing there—yet, a part of her felt as though she had no other choice.

Bjorn opened the door with quizzical eyes.

"Brynja," he questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"You said that there would always be room on your ship if I decided to join you," Brynja looked up into Bjorn's eyes. "Is that still true?"

He seemed to think about it for a minute before a smile appeared on his face. "Yes," he answered. "What made you change your mind?"

Brynja did not know what to say. She could never tell him about Ubbe and Margrethe. She already felt embarrassment for acting so foolish.

So, she kissed him passionately. Her rough kisses were fueled by the rage that Ubbe had left her with.

To her surprise, Bjorn kissed back.

It had seemed as though they had been lip locked for hours before Bjorn pulled away.

"Do you want to come in?" Bjorn asked between breaths.

"Where are Torvi and the children?" Brynja seemed to suddenly remember that Bjorn had a family of his own. But at the moment, none of that truly mattered to her.

"They are not here," Bjorn smirked. Though the words were never said, they both knew that an offer was being made.

Brynja put her hand on the door, pushing it open just wide enough so that she could squeeze past Bjorn. A smirk plagued Bjorn's face as he slowly shut the door.

He then made his way over to Brynja. In one swift move he had picked her up and put her on the table where they had earlier been eating their meal.

She felt her dress sliding up as he placed hot kisses against her neck. Without warning, she felt him enter her. Her breath caught in her throat as a familiar pain consumed her.

"You are so tight," he growled in her ear as he palmed her breast. She closed her eyes and moaned loudly as her hips began to naturally move in rhythm with his.

* * *

Brynja stood beside Bjorn the next morning. Many people had gathered around to see their loved ones one last time before the boats left for the Roman Empire.

"Do not come back unless you have seen or done something extraordinary," Torvi told her husband. "If you are not in the stories, then what will I be able to tell our children about their famous father, Bjorn Ironside?"

"Tell them that I love them," Bjorn said, simply. He then pulled his wife in for a passionate kiss.

Brynja could not stand to see Bjorn kiss Torvi. Guilt filled her soul as memories from the night before played through her head.

"Take care of him," Torvi's voice pulled Brynja back to reality. The blonde woman looked at her as she waited for a reply.

Brynja said nothing, but nodded her head in Torvi's direction.

"Brynja," Ubbe approached slowly—unsure how the shield-maiden would react. "Please forgive me. I did not mean the cruel words I said." Ubbe grabbed her hand and squeezed it, but Brynja quickly pulled away.

Sadness and disappointment filled Ubbe's eyes as his hand fell to his side. But before he could turn to leave, he felt Brynja's arms wrap around his shoulders.

He tightly hugged her back as he whispered in her ear. "I pray that the gods keep you safe during your travels. And I pray that once you are done, the gods bring you back to me. I will miss my best friend."

Tears once again clouded Brynja's vision. She wanted so much to kiss him. But he had made his feelings very clear. He wanted Margrethe.

* * *

As the boat left the shore, Brynja watched Ubbe fade into the distance. She wondered what would happen while she was away, and she prayed that once Ubbe freed Margrethe, the blonde-haired woman would just leave.

"What are you thinking about?" Bjorn asked as he stood next to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Brynja purposely avoided the question.

"You," he smiled.

"What about Torvi?" Brynja was shocked. She expected her night with Bjorn to be just that—one night.

"Torvi is a great woman," Bjorn answered "She is the mother of my children and I will always care for her… But I no longer feel love for her."

"And what do you feel for me?" The question shot out of Brynja's mouth before she had even realized she was saying it.

"I do not know yet," a smirk was still plastered on Bjorn's face. "But I would not mind seeing you sleeping under my furs every morning."

* * *

 **Leave me a review please! I love hearing your opinions and predictions!**


	5. The Journey

**Hey Guys! I have received some amazing reviews, and I can't wait to get some more! You all are literally the best!**

 **This being said, many of the reviews brought up some great points that I am going to address.**

 **- Where is Hvitserk?**

 **He is with Brynja and Bjorn. And he will be mentioned some in this chapter.**

 **\- Will Ubbe find out about Brynja sleeping with Bjorn?**

 **This is actually going to end up being an important part of the story, so I can't tell you the answer to this. But I can tell you that Brynja and Bjorn are far from over.**

 **\- Will Brynja have a relationship with any of the other men?**

 **I actually had not even thought about this. Because I am wanting her character to be nothing like Margrethe, I do not plan on her sleeping with many men in this story. But, if I feel like it benefits the plot of the story, I would not be opposed to her having a short term relationship with another character. Ultimately, however, her heart belongs to Ubbe. :)**

 **\- Why did Brynja throw herself at Bjorn?**

 **I didn't say much about this in the last chapter, But I tried to mention it some in this chapter. Eventually, why Brynja chose to do this will be discussed in great detail... But, we aren't at that point yet. I think there are many reasons why Brynja slept with Bjorn: jealousy-she had just caught the man she loved sleeping with someone else, loneliness, anger, and the fact that even Ragnar said that he had assumed that if she ended up with any of his sons it would be Bjorn. This being said, we are going to learn more about Brynja's past later in this story. And I really think that it will clarify Brynja's choices concerning Bjorn and Ubbe.**

 **Also, just so we're all clear, this chapter will ONLY show what Brynja is experiencing. So, it will not talk about Lagertha using Margrethe to distract the sons so she can kill Aslaug. All of that STILL HAPPENED.**

* * *

Chapter 5- The Journey

As Brynja entered the room, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"See how well treachery pays off, Bjorn" Floki stated as they walked closer to the thrones located at the front of the room. Guards eyed their every move.

"Don't do anything stupid, FLoki," Bjorn warned. Brynja jumped slightly as the guards lowered their spears to make a wall in front of Bjorn.

"I've never done anything stupid in my life," Floki retorted. If she had not been so on-edge, she probably would have grinned at his comment. "But, I am contemplating whether dying would be better than dealing with this scum."

Rollo began speaking to them in Frankish. Brynja was unsure of what was being said, but she did hear the man mention Floki, Helga, and Hvitserk.

The guards lowered their spears as Rollo approached.

"I do not want to apologize," She could now understand what the older man was saying. "What would be the point? The gods have spoken."

Floki let out a chuckle while Rollo spoke. Brynja tried to nonchalantly move closer to Hvitserk, in order to create some space between her and Floki. She was worried that his tongue would cause more conflict than necessary.

"This is my wife," Rollo ignored Floki's snarky chuckle. "Princess Gisla."

Brynja looked over the woman. She looked much younger than Bjorn's uncle. But the shield-maiden assumed that maybe it was because the princess had lived a cushioned lifestyle that a viking woman could not understand. Or maybe, she actually was quite a bit younger than her husband. Brynja couldn't decide.

"And these are our children," Rollo continued. "William, Marcellus, and Celsa."

The princess began to speak in her own language.

"My wife wants to know why you are here," Rollo translated. "So do I".

As Bjorn reached down into his boot, the guards began to move, preparing to attack him.

Brynja grabbed Hvitserk's upper arm and squeezed it. She was prepared for whatever was to happen, but she did not want to stand by idly while Bjorn was killed.

Rollo signaled for his guards to lower their weapons as Bjorn fished out his map. He began to open it to show Rollo his destination.

"I want to go here," Bjorn stated as he laid the map down. "To this sea." He pointed to show Rollo as the older man bent down to get a better look.

"But I have to sail along your coastline to get there," Bjorn continued. "I need safe passage for my fleet."

"In return for what?" Rollo questioned.

"In return for not attacking your villages and towns," Floki interjected. "Like we should do."

Rollo shook his head at the man as his eyes returned to the map. "May I take this?" Rollo grabbed the map before he had even finished asking for permission.

"No," Bjorn said as he reached to retrieve it. The guards surrounding them once again moved their weapons, waiting to strike.

A guard now stood directly in front of Bjorn. He was speaking in Frankish, and Brynja had no idea what he had said. It was then that she saw a guard grab Hvitserk. Her body tensed as she began to reach for her knife. Once she saw that the guard did not harm Hvitserk, but took away his weapon; she calmed down a little… but not much.

She slowly took her knife out and gave it to the guard that had just taken Hvitserk's.

"How long do you think you can keep us prisoners, traitor?" Floki questioned Rolo angrily as the guards began to push them out of the room. Brynja did not hear the rest of what Floki had said. She was too worried about what was to come.

* * *

Brynja stared at the chains that wrapped around her wrists. She hadn't said much since they'd been locked up—no one had.

"This is an interesting place you have brought us to," Harald looked at Bjorn while he spoke. "I hope it's not the last place on earth I see."

Brynja could not help but feel somewhat sorry for Bjorn.

"Why aren't you talking?" Halfdan asked. "Could it be because you know you made a bad judgment?"

Brynja sighed loud enough that it almost echoed off the walls. She suddenly wished that it would be silent again.

"We totally believed in you," Halfdan continued. "And thought the gods did also."

"Why don't we leave each other alone?" Brynja spoke up. "It is bad enough that we are stuck here. Why worsen it by picking a fight? You are all chained. What will mean words accomplish?"

Silence fell over the room for a few moments.

"Still," Harald began to speak again. "You must have a plan for getting us out of this mess. And, I'm sure we would all like to hear what it is."

"How could you think you could ever do business with Rollo?" Halfdan shouted. "He's killed hundreds of our people! He's lied and cheated, double-crossed his own brother, renounced the gods, committed every crime known to man. We should have attacked his fleet. At least then we could have died like Vikings, and not like sheep."

The echoing sound of footprints bounce off the prison walls. Someone was coming to join them.

Brynja stared as three guards came into view. They spoke in their language as they released Bjorn from his chains. They then shoved his back, signaling him to walk with them.

"Don't disappoint us, Ironside," Harald shouted before Bjorn disappeared with the guards.

* * *

Brynja was grateful that Bjorn and Rollo had come to an agreement. Her wrists felt as though they weighed as much as a feather once she had been released from the chains. But she worried that the Frankish nobleman would end up causing them all a great deal of trouble.

The boat stopped and they began to tie a rope around Rollo's hands and feet. He offered a quick smirk before he was pushed into the water.

Brynja looked deep into the water as Bjorn signaled for his men to pull the rope tight, trapping Rollo under the side of the boat.

Brynja could no longer see him. She made her way closer to Bjorn, putting her hand on his shoulder as she waited for him to signal his men to bring Rollo up.

"Bjorn," Brynja squeezed his shoulder a bit tighter. It had seemed like long enough that Rollo was beneath the boat.

Bjorn seemed to ignore her however. She wondered if his plan was to kill his uncle.

"Pull him up," Bjorn shouted as he waved his hand.

As Brynja looked at Bjorn, she couldn't help but to see the ruthless expression on his face. It made her think of Ubbe. She could never remember a time that she looked into Ubbe's eyes and saw the coldness that she saw in Bjorn's. When she had made love to Ubbe, he was kind and gentle. It had been a completely different experience with Bjorn. When he had bedded her, he was rougher. But Brynja would be lying if she said that she did not enjoy her experience with Bjorn. It made her feel desired.

She did not understand how Ragnar's two oldest sons could be so different.

A feeling of relief overtook her body as she saw Rollo coughing up water. For the moment, at least, things were still going as planned.

* * *

That night, Brynja watched the moon reflect off the waves. The water shimmered as though it was made of diamonds.

"It is a beautiful view," Bjorn said as he approached her.

"Yes," she agreed. "There is nothing else quite like it. "

Bjorn smiled as he watched her admire the beauty of the water.

"Come with me," Bjorn commanded. "There is something I would like to show you."

Brynja followed closely behind him. Once they had reached the back of the boat, Brynja looked at him questioningly.

"Turn around," he told her.

She did as he told her, thinking that there was something he was wanting her to see.

She then began to feel the back of her dress lift up. Bjorn's warm hand moved to caress her thigh.

"What are you doing?" The tone of her voice came out shrill as she quickly spun around. She was shocked by what he had done.

"Most of the men are sleeping," Bjorn told the woman. "Look at them. The ones that are not sleeping are not paying attention."

Bjorn spun her around again to face the outside of the boat. As his right hand pulled up the back of her dress, his left hand pushed her down, leaving her in a slightly bent over position.

Her cheeks turned red as she felt him enter her. She wondered if anyone knew what they were doing. Surely, someone had looked to see where their captain had gone.

The more she thought about it, the more exciting it felt to think that someone might be watching them.

She let out a quiet moan as she felt Bjorn finish inside her.

* * *

"Where are we, do you suppose?" Rollo asked Bjorn.

Brynja could barely see through the thick fog.

"Ispania," Bjorn answered, but did not look at his uncle. "About here," he pointed at the map resting on his lap.

"If we're lucky," Rollo grumbled.

"Or if the gods will it," Bjorn countered. "Or have you forgotten about the gods, Rollo?"

Brynja was beginning to wish she had never came. She was tired of the endless arguing and she wondered what was happening back in Kattegat. She wondered if Ubbe had freed Margrethe. She closed her eyes and tried to remember Ubbe's warm smile—blocking out the conversation between Rollo and Bjorn.

She wondered if Ubbe somehow knew that she had slept with Bjorn.

 _If he does know, I doubt he cares._

As she thought back on that night, she wondered what had made her kiss Bjorn. She had gone to see him only to ask if she could travel with him.

 _I just wanted to get the image of Ubbe and Margrethe out of my mind_ , the realization hit Brynja.

The memory of Margrethe emerging from behind Ubbe's door with her dress barely on haunted Brynja that night as she made her way to find Bjorn.

 _I had been praying for the gods to give me Ubbe for many years._ _But_ , she thought, _apparently that was not to be._

Though Brynja did not love Bjorn, she did feel a strong connection to him. She wondered if it was the same feeling that Ubbe had for Margrethe. She felt passion for Bjorn. Lust. But also, the need to care for him. Bjorn was not the man she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Looking at him did not make her heart flutter the way Ubbe made her heart flutter. But, she was beginning to see something in Bjorn that she had not seen before.

 _He said he no longer loves Torvi. Maybe he will leave her._

 _Maybe I will see where this goes_ , she thought. _Perhaps, Bjorn is who I am fated to be with. Maybe our love will grow in time._

* * *

"We are almost out of fresh water," Hvitserk stated.

"I know," Bjorn replied shortly. His arm snaked around Brynja's waist as he continued to speak. "We need to find a port. Not only with fresh water, but with provisions. We don't have much food."

"What will they think?" Hvitserk asked his brother. "The people there."

"I don't know," Bjorn answered honestly. "I don't know anything about them."

"They call them Mussulman," Rollo spoke up. "And they worship a god named Allah."

* * *

As the boats pulled up to the port, Brynja could hear music playing in the distance. Bjorn pressed his hand against her back, signaling for her to jump off the boat and onto the land. With her shield and sword in hand, she moved to the side—allowing Bjorn and Rollo to take the lead.

Bjorn quickly slashed open the first person he saw, causing the screams of the terrified people to all begin at once.

Brynja walked around aimlessly. She was ready to use her weapons if needed. But, a part of her hated killing people that were only trying to run away. She did not feel brave or strong for murdering the terrified people. And perhaps, she thought, the gods looked down on her for that.

Out of the corner of her eye, Brynja saw a child holding the hand of her dead mother. The young girl shook the hand violently, trying to wake her mother up.

Brynja watched the sad scene for a moment. It was hard seeing an innocent child suffer so much. And Brynja knew the young girl would be lucky if she herself survived the night.

* * *

"At last," Bjorn took down on the view before him. "The Mediterranean." He, the men, and Brynja stood on a cliff that overlooked the sea. His arm was wrapped around Brynja's waist. "This is further than our people have ever came. Further than Ragnar dreamed."

"It's beautiful," Brynja exclaimed.

The sound of ravens cawing in the distance rang through her ears.

As she felt Bjorn turn, she looked behind her as well. Ravens were, after all, the birds that Odin used to send and receive messages. As Hvitserk and Bjorn began to walk closer to the ravens, Brynja followed behind them, carefully watching their every move.

"Hvitserk," Bjorn began. "Did you hear him too?"

Brynja had heard nothing. She reached up and rested her hand in the middle of Bjorn's back.

"Yes," the younger brother answered.

Bjorn seemed to be staring at something off in the distance.

"My father is dead."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! As always, please send me a review. I love to hear what you guys are thinking. I'm not much of a writer, so knowing that people are reading my story and that they like it is an amazing feeling. You are all very appreciated!**


	6. The Return

**Here's another chapter! If you like this story please review! I am still taking a poll on whether Brynja should stay in Kattegat or leave with Bjorn again after the sons avenge Ragnar's death. I'm thinking about putting in a big twist that would really change this story!**

* * *

Chapter 6- The Return

As Bjorn pushed open the doors, Brynja stood beside him with her sword gripped tightly in her hand. She knew that something was wrong, but she was not quite sure what to expect.

The first thing she noticed was Ubbe. She looked him over—it felt like years since she had seen his face.

It was then that she fully understood the scene playing out in front of her. Ubbe and Ivar were getting ready to attack Lagertha before Brynja, Bjorn, and Bjorn's men had stormed in.

"If you kill her, my brothers," Bjorn warned. "You will have to kill me too."

"Maybe we should," Ivar stated.

"Shut up," Ubbe growled towards Ivar, but his eyes focused on the shield-maiden standing by Bjorn.

Though she had not been gone long, Ubbe could see a difference in her figure. But, he could not quite put his finger on what had changed.

Her long hair flowed down freely over the furs draped around her neck.

Her face looked sharper and her eyes looked wiser. He could tell that she had lost weight even though the furs hid her figure.

"She killed our mother," Ubbe justified his actions to Bjorn.

"I know," Bjorn somewhat sympathized with his brother. "You want revenge. So would I. But, more importantly, we have to avenge our father. That is why I came back. And that is what we are going to do." Bjorn swung his ax down to where it nearly touched Ivar's face.

Ubbe could not help but notice how close Brynja stood by Bjorn. They weren't touching or even looking at each other. Yet, Ubbe could see that there was something between him. He couldn't explain how he knew. He just knew that Bjorn and Brynja had connected while they were away.

 _He has bedded her,_ Ubbe thought to himself _._ He had no proof that they had been together. He just knew.

It was then that Lagertha dropped her sword in front of Ivar.

The youngest son glared up at the queen with his eyes full of hatred. He growled in aggravation.

Lowering his ax, Ubbe made his way to the door. Seeing Brynja and Bjorn together left a foul taste in his mouth.

As he walked past Bjorn, He made sure that their shoulders collided—causing Bjorn to let out a quite groan of irritation.

 _He knows_ , Brynja thought as she watched Ubbe roughly bump into Bjorn on the way out. She saw it in his eyes. Somehow, Ubbe knew that Brynja had been with his older brother.

Bjorn and Brynja had discussed their relationship before they returned to Kattegat. They had decided that it would be in their best interest if they kept their relationship quiet until Bjorn found an appropriate way to tell Torvi that he wanted out of their marriage.

After Ubbe's reaction, the shield-maiden wondered if Torvi could also somehow tell that she had slept with her husband.

* * *

"Ubbe!" Brynja raced to catch up to him.

Once he had heard her call his name, he stopped walking and turned around to face her, but he did not wear the warm smile that she had missed so much.

"It is so good to see you," As Brynja approached him she grabbed his hand, and he let her. "I cannot tell you how much I have missed you."

Ubbe's hard expression softened as he saw the sincerity in her eyes.

 _Maybe_ , he reasoned, _I was wrong about her and Bjorn_.

"How was your trip?" he asked. He was hoping she would say something that would either confirm or deny the connection he had seen between his best friend and his brother.

"Dull," the woman answered honestly. "I am sorry about your mother."

Brynja had never really cared for Aslaug. She had always thought the woman possessed very little personality. But, her heart ached for Ubbe. He lost both his mother and his father in a short amount of time.

Ubbe nodded his head, but did not reply.

Silence fell over the old friends before Brynja spoke up in the cheeriest voice she could muster. "Would you like to train with me?" she asked.

Ubbe considered her offer for a moment as he looked into her eyes. A smirk then appeared on his face. "Let's go," He agreed.

* * *

Once again, the two laid in grass, breathless from training.

"Did you free her?" Brynja winced as she asked, but she had to know the answer.

"Yes," Ubbe replied.

Sadness filled Brynja's heart. She had seen Margrethe in the room earlier. She knew that meant that since the blonde was now a free woman, she had obviously chosen to stay with Ubbe.

"And?" the dark-haired girl asked. Though she knew what he was probably going to say, a part of her still had hope that his answer would satisfy her in some way—even if it only brought her closure.

"And we will marry," Ubbe knew how Brynja felt about his future bride.

She let out a small chuckle. "Am I invited to the ceremony?" she asked. Despite how much she hurt, she refused to show any sadness. After all, she was grateful to have Bjorn.

"If you want to be," Ubbe said cautiously. He did not know if this conversation would end in a fight.

"You are my best friend, Ubbe" The words seemed to burn as they came out of her mouth. "I would not want to be anywhere else on the day of your wedding. If she makes you happy, then I am happy."

Ubbe's brows hunched together as the words drifted out of her mouth. He had honestly expected her to say anything else.

It was then that it hit him.

Brynja must be with Bjorn. If not, she wouldn't have been so accepting of his bride.

"And how did Bjorn treat you while you were gone?" the woman could hear the accusation in his voice.

"He treated me well," she replied softly.

Her relaxed answer seemed to irritate Ubbe.

"And what about when he bedded you?" Ubbe didn't even try to bite back his tongue this time. "How was that?"

Brynja felt the anger rising in her chest, but her words came out cool and smooth. "I do not know what you are talking about," she had promised that she would not tell anyone about her relationship with Bjorn until he had told Torvi. "But even if your accusation was true—I have shown my support for you and Margrethe. Can you not do the same for me?"

"That is different," Ubbe growled.

"How?" The shield-maiden was beginning to grow angrier.

"Because—" Ubbe began to search for reasons, but he found none. "He is my brother!"

"You will soon be a married man," Brynja's tone was icy. "Do not worry about who I share a bed with."

"He is a married man," Ubbe's face was growing red with anger. "He will not choose you over Torvi."

"Just like you did not choose me over Margrethe," a lump rose in he throat as she remember the night she saw them together. "If that is all me and Bjorn are destined for, then so be it. It does not matter to me. But you cannot see what the gods have in store for us."

Ubbe began to feel guilty for his outburst. He knew that it was wrong of him to degrade her relationship when he knew nothing about it. Anyone could see that Torvi and Bjorn were no longer in love. It was very likely that his brother would leave his wife for Brynja. And perhaps that is what Ubbe feared the most. He did not want to see Brynja with Bjorn.

"I am sorry," Ubbe said.

Brynja could hear the sincerity in Ubbe's voice.

"You cannot tell anyone about us," she pleaded. "We are waiting until he finds the right time to tell Torvi."

Silence fell over the two.

"Do you love him?" Ubbe's voice cut through the silence.

Brynja waited so long to answer that he had thought that she was ignoring the question.

"Not really," She stated honestly. "But I care for him. And, he seems to care for me. I do not think love is as important as people make it out to be."

"What?" he could not wrap his head around his friend's way of thinking.

"My father loved my mother with all of his heart. Once she died, he didn't know how to live without her. He lost his mind. And he tried so hard to make sure I turned out to be just like her. He named me after her, he made me train from sun up to sun down. He striked me if I did not train with all of my strength all of the time. He spoke about my mother every day. And in the end, he killed himself because he could not bear living with her anymore." Ubbe frowned as she continued to talk. "And what about Lagertha and Ragnar? You can't deny that their love was true, but it didn't last. Or Bjorn and Porunn. If he had not loved her, he would not be the cold man he is today. Love often ends in pain. I don't want that. I just want a connection."

Ubbe felt broken as he heard Brynja speak.

"If you are happy with your relationship with Bjorn, then I will support you like you support me."

Brynja smiled and turned to look into Ubbe's eyes. "Thank you," she replied softly.

* * *

Ubbe sat beside Margrethe as he and Sigurd discussed whether or not they should kill Lagertha.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't do it," Sigurd sighed. "But think about it. If we—" He immediately paused at the sound of the door opening.

"Hvitserk!" Ubbe exclaimed as he stood to greet his younger brother. He wrapped him in a hug.

"Welcome home, brother," Sigurd now rose to hug Hvitserk.

"I heard you freed Margrethe," Hvitserk stated as he let go of Sigurd. "You want to marry her. I'm glad."

He then turned his attention to the blonde sitting at the table.

"Just don't keep her all to yourself, huh?" Hvitserk caressed her cheek with his hand.

Ubbe carefully watched the two, but said nothing about the display of intimacy.

"It's good to have you back, brother," Ubbe commented as they all sat down at the table once again. He handed Hvitserk a drink. "Have you heard about Mother?"

Hvitserk let out a deep breathe before answering. "Yes," he stated. "Well, You and I, Ubbe… We jumped under the ice because of her. So, I don't quite agree that we should kill Lagertha because of it."

"Ivar thinks we should," Ubbe replied as Margrethe rested her hand above his knee.

"Ivar is crazy," Hvitserk blurted out. "You know that."

"Maybe we should wait," Ubbe agreed.

"Until we avenge out father," Sigurd seemed to finally join the conversation. "Someone has to rule Kattegat while we're away."

"And if we kill Lagertha, we would have to kill Bjorn," Ubbe continued. "And as angry as I am at him right now, I still do not want to do that."

Hvitserk let out a chuckle. "I take it you found out about his new lover?"

Ubbe glared about his younger brother, but did not speak.

"They could hardly keep their hands off of each other. He bred her well," Hvitserk laughed some more. "I would know. I saw him take her more than once."

Anger boiled deep inside Ubbe as his brother spoke. "I do not care who he takes to bed as long as it isn't Margrethe."

"Is that so? Then maybe you couldn't kill Bjorn anyways."

Tension filled the room as the two men stared at each other.

"Would you like to test me, brother?" Ubbe challenged.

* * *

Bjorn sat with his family at the table as he picked at his meal. Since returning to Kattegat, he had felt stressed. His brothers were wanting to kill his mother, he was planning the revenge of his father's death, the trip that he was sure to be his destiny had been delayed, he had to tell his wife he planned on leaving her, and he had not heard from the woman he cared about in days.

He couldn't blame Brynja for staying away from him, though. He had told her to avoid him until he had found the right time to tell Torvi that he no longer loved her.

But, He missed Brynja's touch. He missed feeling her warm arms around him.

"How can you go with Ivar," Torvi began to question her husband, their youngest child sat calmly in her lap. "When he wants to kill your mother?"

"We're brothers," Bjorn answered. "We want to kill Aelle. Nothing else matters right now, woman."

"I don't understand," Torvi shook her head at her husband as he stared down at his food again. "Of course it matters! It matters to me even if it doesn't matter to you!" The baby began to cry as Torvi raised her voice.

"Listen," Bjorn slammed his fist down on the table. "I did not come back here to be told what to do. Not by you. Not by anyone!" Bjorn threw his bowl across the room as he shouted at his wife.

The child's scream rang through his ears as he stood from the table. He slammed the door behind him as he left.

* * *

Brynja's head laid on Bjorn's chest as he stroked her hair.

They laid in her small bed in the rundown shack that she called home. It was the same shack that she had lived in with her father.

"I had to come see you," Bjorn began to speak. Feeling her bare body against him seemed to soothe him. "I couldn't take it anymore."

He was sure that someone had seen him enter her home, but at the moment he didn't care.

"I do not want my children to think I'm evil."

Brynja batted her eyelashes against his chest in confusion. She then raised her head so she could look into Bjorn's eyes. "Why would they think that about their father?"

"The way I treated their mother today," Bjorn confided in the woman laying against him. "I shouted at her and threw my dinner off the table… I remember the first time I saw my father hurt my mother. He thought I was asleep. He slept with Aslaug right in front of me. He cheated on my mother and I saw the whole thing. It took me years to forgive him."

Brynja moved her hand back and forth against his chest. She had no words to comfort him. Her heart ached for Torvi and the children.

"Bjorn," she began. "May I ask you something?"

"Mhmm," he mumbled.

"Did I cause this?" She felt guilty for breaking apart a family.

"No," Bjorn answered. "I have not loved Torvi for a long time. We are fated to separate. You just give me something to look forward to." Bjorn smiled down at her, hoping to provide her with some since of comfort. His hand moved to grasp the tip of her chin, pulling her up slightly so he could place a small kiss on her lips.

* * *

 **Again, please review! I love hearing everyone's thoughts!**


	7. The Surprise

**I'm super excited... because I finally figured out where I'm going with this story! Thanks for patiently waiting for this chapter. I hope you guys like it. I put a little surprise in it for you!**

* * *

Chapter 7-The Surprise

Brynja's hand rested on her stomach. She had just finished throwing up anything that she had eaten that day. She had been ill all morning, but she couldn't let that stop her. She had a marriage ceremony to go to.

She looked down at her dress, hoping that none of the contents that had left her stomach ended up on the fabric.

"I don't understand why you are going," Ashilda sighed. "Especially if you are sick."

"I have to go," Brynja stated. "I couldn't bear it if I didn't."

"You must be a better woman than me," Ashilda reached out to straighten up her friend's dress. "Or more foolish. I don't think I could ever watch the man I love marry another woman."

"I have Bjorn now," Brynja stated simply.

And she was glad to have Bjorn. But, she knew seeing Ubbe marry another woman would kill her.

"How are things with Bjorn?" Ashilda was one of the only people who knew about their relationship. Brynja knew she could trust the faithful servant not to tell anyone.

"It is good," Brynja answered.

"I don't mean to pry, but when are you going to tell Torvi?" Ashilda was beginning to wonder if Bjorn had any intentions on telling his wife.

The brunette woman shrugged. "I don't know. Bjorn will do it when the time is right, I suppose."

"May I state my opinion?" Ashilda knew that what she was going to say was not something the shield-maiden wanted to hear.

Brynja sighed. "Of course," she said. "But, I have a feeling that I will not like this opinion of yours."

The blonde paused before she spoke. She knew Brynja would not become angry at her for speaking her mind. But, she worried about hurting her friend's feelings. The man Brynja had loved for years was getting married today. She was probably already hurting enough.

"If Bjorn is so eager to sleep with women behind Torvi's back, why do you not think he will do the same to you?"

A lump rose in Brynja's throat as she considered her answer. "Bjorn does not love Torvi anymore. He and I have passion."

"He and Torvi had passion, and love, and children. He took her from Erlendur. They were madly in love at first. Surely, you remember this?" Ashilda stared at Brynja, hoping to get some sort of reaction from her. "I do not think you and Bjorn were meant to be. After the passion dies down, he will grow restless again. I see that you have not talked to him as much lately."

"We cannot talk much until he tells Torvi," Brynja defended as she looked down at her dress.

"You talk less now then you did when you first arrived from your voyage," Ashilda argued back. "Why do you think that is? It is because he is growing restless."

Brynja let out a huff. She was feeling ill before the conversation started, but it had somehow made her feel even sicker. "I appreciate you so much, Ashilda. I have never had a more faithful friend," she sounded out of breath as she spoke. "But please, stop. I can't handle this conversation today. Bjorn has been good to me. That's all I care about right now. I will deal with his restlessness when it becomes an issue. Today I am trying to support the man I thought I was going to marry, while he marries someone else."

Ashilda nodded her head. "I only want what's best for you, Brynja." She placed her hand on the shield-maiden's shoulder.

Brynja reached up to squeeze Ashilda's hand. "I know," she smiled softly. "And I love you for it."

* * *

Brynja stood alone near the back as she watched the ceremony.

As Ubbe placed the ring on Margrethe's finger, Brynja couldn't help but notice the painful feeling in her heart. But she smiled anyway.

"And so, I name you man and wife. May the gods bless you, and give you children. And, may they keep the wolf from the door" The woman said as she used her fingers to flick blood onto the newly married couple.

Ubbe eagerly pulled Margrethe in for a kiss as the audience cheered.

Brynja couldn't cheer. The need to vomit was beginning to crawl up her throat again. She quietly disappeared behind a tree to regurgitate while Ubbe and Hvitserk raced.

Once she returned, Ubbe and Margrethe were receiving hugs and kind words from their guests.

"Brynja," Ubbe pulled her into a hug as soon as she approached him. She faked a smiled as she held onto him tighter.

"I am so happy for you," she whispered into his ear. "And I wish you all the luck of the gods."

 _Just not with her_ , Brynja thought to herself.

Ubbe pulled Brynja back to take a good look at her. He could feel her shaking as she hugged him. Her pale face was a clear indication to him that something was wrong. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just ill," she mustered a small smile. "But, I wasn't going to let that stop me from seeing my best friend marry the woman he loves."

"Will you be going to the feast?" he asked her. He wanted her to be there.

"I don't think so," she answered. "I need to rest."

While what she said was true, she also needed to be away from Margrethe.

He nodded his head and patted her shoulder. "Nothing has changed because I'm married. You are still my best friend."

She smiled at him. "Then maybe once I am better we can train again," she stated.

"Yes," he agreed. "Of course." His bright smile revealed his perfect teeth.

* * *

Brynja stood by Torvi as the sacrificial ceremony began. The two were far from friends. But Brynja greatly admired the blonde woman. She had faced many hardships and she hadn't let them define her—the mark of a true warrior, in Brynja's opinion.

Brynja's guilt often led her to try to build some sort of relationship with Torvi. She had hoped that when Bjorn decided to tell his wife that he had found another woman, Torvi wouldn't hate her.

Bjorn stood behind them, watching as Lagertha made her way to the alter.

As a shooting star shined above them, the people gasped. They were sure it was a sign from Odin.

As Brynja looked up at the star, she felt something softly rub against her. Her head turned in time to see Bjorn making his way through the crowd. It must have been his furs that touched her.

She wondered where he was going.

 _Perhaps he was growing hot from the crowd_ , she thought to herself. She returned her focus to Lagertha. A blade now rested in the older woman's hands as she turned to face the man who was sacrificing his life.

The man's shirt was ripped open as Lagertha prepared to kill him. She began to speak the words of the ritual loudly, and the crowd repeated every word she said.

Lagertha slowly dug her blade into the young man's body.

Brynja turned her head away, her stomach couldn't bear the sight in front of her.

Once she heard the sword scrape as it was removed from the man's body and heard the thud as he hit the ground, her eyes returned to the ceremony. But she grimaced as she realized she had turned her head too soon. The man was not dead yet.

Lagertha slowly laid him down as he continued to breathe heavily. Once the man had stopped breathing Lagertha quickly looked up. At first, Brynja thought that she was looking right at her, but she soon realized that the woman was somehow communicating with Torvi.

As Torvi looked at the place where Bjorn had been standing moments earlier, Brynja began to follow her eyes.

Torvi then looked in the direction where Astrid had also been.

It had seemed as though both of them had disappeared.

Brynja hung her head as she realized what had happened. Ashilda had obviously been right.

She couldn't display her emotions. Not in front of Torvi.

 _She is his wife_ , she thought. _I am nothing more than a woman he had an interest in._

* * *

"Brothers," Bjorn paced along the port. "This is my decision. We refuse to share power with any of the other kings and earls—whoever they are or however powerful they are."

Brynja sat beside Ivar as the oldest brother continued to speak.

"Least of all, my brothers, King Harald Finehair and his brother, for they are dedicated to our overthrow. Is that understood?"

Brynja stared at the ground as Bjorn continued to lecture. She wondered why she was sitting here listening to this rant. Bjorn had personally asked her to come with him to avenge his father. At the time, she thought he had asked because he cared deeply about her and wanted to spend time with her. Now, she wondered if she was just something to entertain him with while he was away from Torvi or Astrid.

She had yet to find the time to confront him about what he had done at the ceremony, but she had every intention on discussing it with him soon.

"We are all equally Ragnar's sons," Bjorn continued. "But we are not equal in battle. So, I will take the lead. I will establish the battle plans, and I will give the orders. Do you understand that?"

Brynja was no longer looking at any of the men in front of her. She stared down at her boots.

"You don't agree, Ivar?"

Brynja lifted her head as she expected a fight to break out between the brothers.

"I did not say anything," Ivar retorted.

"You don't have to," Bjorn argued back. "Your age makes you believe you know more than you do."

Ivar rolled his eyes as Bjorn continued to preach to him.

"What have you done? What battles have you won? And what battles have you lost?" Bjorn shouted. "For it is in failure, my brothers. That is where we learn the most."

"Really?" Ivar asked with a voice drenched in sarcasm.

"If you don't want to listen, that is your choice," Bjorn spoke directly to his youngest brother. "But I am the leader of this great army. Me! And you will obey me!"

Brynja jumped slightly as Bjorn screamed at the man sitting next to her.

"And if you do so, my brothers, revenge for our father…" Bjorn sighed deeply before he finished his sentence. "Will be ours."

* * *

Brynja's head hung off the boat as Ubbe approached her. She had been vomiting ever since she had boarded. He was beginning to wonder how she could possibly have anything left to throw up.

"Still sick I see," Ubbe felt sorry for the poor girl. Her pale face glistened with sweat. Bjorn had yet to notice the ill woman. He stood at the front, and stared at the view ahead. "Do you need anything?"

"No," Her voice shook as she spoke. "I will be fine once I adjust to the water."

Ubbe could hear Hvitserk calling him back up to the front of the boat.

"If you need anything, let me know," Ubbe rubbed her shoulder out of sympathy before he disappeared.

Not long after he left, Brynja felt the presence of someone else beside her.

"It will get better," Helga comforted the young shield-maiden as she took a seat next to her. "How long have you known?"

"Known what?" Brynja lifted her head from the side of the ship to look over at the pretty, older woman.

"You must be with child," Helga smiled sadly. Brynja knew that the older woman had been wanting a child ever since her daughter had died.

"I can't be," Brynja's eyes widened with fear. She had never even considered the fact that she could be pregnant.

"Are you sure?" A confused look took over Helga's face.

Brynja hesitated to answer. Now that she thought about it, her daily sickness made since. She had also been very short of breath. She couldn't remember the last time she had experienced her monthly bleeding.

"Who is the father?" Helga asked.

It had been too long since she had slept with Ubbe for the child to be his. She wondered how Bjorn would react if he found out that his child was growing inside her.

 _Would he be happy?_

 _Would he be angry?_

 _Would he care?_

 _Would he acknowledge the child, or simply claim that it wasn't his?_

 _What would Ubbe say?_

Brynja's head begin to spin as thousands of thoughts and questions raced through her mind. She threw her head over the side of the boat, the only thing that seemed to be coming out of her at this point was a water-like substance. All the food she had eaten had been spewed into the water earlier.

"You cannot tell anyone about this, Helga" Brynja breathed heavily as she tried to recover from the vomiting.

"I won't tell anyone," Helga began. "But soon, your stomach will begin to show."

* * *

 **Brynja's pregnant! Surprise!**

 **Things also seemed to be going too well between Brynja and Bjorn. I know a lot of you like this pairing, so I hope you don't hate me. From watching the show, we can all tell that he has a way with the ladies. So, sooner or later, I think we all kinda knew he would end up sleeping with someone behind Brynja's back.**

 **Please leave me a review! I love hearing everyone's thoughts!**


	8. The Fight

**I noticed that some of the people who reviewed in the beginning of the story are no longer reviewing. I hope that doesn't mean you aren't reading the story anymore! I appreciate ALL reviewers and readers!**

* * *

Chapter 8- The Fight

Brynja hadn't told a soul about the infant growing inside her. She couldn't yet. Too much was happening. Bjorn had lost his father, and the sons of Ragnar were beginning to bicker almost constantly. She knew Bjorn didn't need anything else on his plate right now.

Yet, she was beginning to grow paranoid. She wondered if anyone else suspected her pregnancy. Helga could see the signs almost immediately, and Bjorn himself had seen his wife display these symptoms more than once.

She had avoided going into battle against Aelle. She didn't want to risk hurting the baby. Instead, she stayed at the camp with Helga and the girl that Helga had adopted. And, she was glad she didn't have to stomach watching the man get blood-eagled.

However, she knew Ubbe and Bjorn would eventually question her reluctance to fight. Normally, she would be right there with them the whole time.

They had just arrived at Repton, and Brynja found herself sitting next to Bjorn by the fire. All the brothers sat around, and then they began to talk.

"It seems to me that the Saxons are as timid as frightened women," Ivar spoke to his brothers. "Their hearts are faint. I don't think they can truly trouble us."

"You don't know enough, Ivar," irritation was clear in Bjorn's voice as he addressed his youngest brother. "You haven't seen enough. These are brave men. I've fought against them, you haven't."

"I can only see what my eyes tell me, Bjorn," Ivar argued. "And what I see is frightened people running before us. I see their spineless god running away from our gods."

"For once," Ubbe chimed in. "Why don't you just listen to an older, wiser brother? These people who are running away, they are not warriors. They are not the ones who will stay and fight to defend this kingdom."

"And protect their honor. What is a warrior without his honor?" Sigurd joined.

"I don't know," Ivar chuckled. "You tell me, brother. And, tell me again, how many battles have you fought?"

"Same as you, brother," Sigurd retorted. "Except I don't ride around in a comfortable, bloody chariot."

"What you have to learn, Ivar," Bjorn spoke once again. "Is that if you break up this brotherhood, we shall not succeed. We have many challenges ahead of us. So, if you want to keep arguing and whining, like a little girl, then I suggest you leave. We don't need you."

"Oh, but you do need me," anger was clear on Ivar's face as he spoke. "Why do you think Father chose me to come with him to England? He had a reason for doing so. He told me I was the one who would act for him—who would make sure he was avenged."

Bjorn held the head of the buck carcass up to his face. "If that's what you want to think, then think it." His voice was as if he was trying to entertain a small child. As he lowered the severed animal head, he let out a chuckle.

"I understand it must be hard for you to accept that the true heir to the great Ragnar Lothbrok should turn out to be a cripple and a reject," Ivar glared at Bjorn while he spoke.

Brynja's eyes suddenly roamed around, as if looking for an escape route. She didn't want to be caught in the middle of this fight.

Floki's giggle seemed to catch everyone's attention. "So, this is what the grunting of the little pigs was about."

Silence filled the air as the brothers all seemed to ignore each other temporarily.

"Are you going to fight with us this time?" Ubbe asked Brynja. "You stayed behind last time. That isn't like you at all." Brynja looked up at him and studied the concern in his eyes.

"I don't know," Brynja answered. "I haven't felt up to it lately."

Bjorn huffed in aggravation. "Come with me," he ordered as he began to walk.

Brynja rose from her seat and obeyed the man as he brought her into his tent.

"When were you going to tell me?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for an answer.

"Tell you what?" she asked, even though she already knew what he was going to say. Her heart began to flutter as she became more nervous.

"I have had three children. I know when a woman is with child," Brynja could hear anger in his tone.

"I was going to tell you when we were finished here," her voice was quiet and weak—like she had just surrendered after a long battle.

Bjorn began to pace the room. She could tell he was deep in thought.

"Are you going to claim the child, or will it be born a bastard?" The question seemed to haunt her at night.

"He is my child, I will take care of him, "Bjorn practically growled.

"Can I ask you something, Bjorn?" Brynja watched him pace. She knew he was already mad at her. So, she saw no reason to postpone the conversation anymore. "Why did you do it?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. His whole face was red with anger.

"Astrid," the woman answered simply. "Why did you sleep with her? Do you not want me anymore?"

"I am a son of Ragnar," his voice was eerily low. "I am a Viking. I am not confined to one woman! And if I were, it would be to my wife! Not to you!"

She flinched as he began to scream.

Before Brynja could say anything, Bjorn stormed out of the tent—leaving her there to contemplate his words.

* * *

After her fight with Bjorn, Brynja had successfully avoided human contact for the rest of the day. She needed time alone to think.

She was supposed to be sleeping in the tent that she and Bjorn shared, but instead she found herself crawling into the tent that Ubbe and Ivar were asleep in.

As Brynja approached Ubbe's sleeping figure, she couldn't help but admire the peaceful look on his face.

Reaching out slowly, she gently tugged on his shoulder, causing him to wake in an instant.

She put a finger to her lips as she nudged her shoulder in Ivar's direction, telling the older brother to remain quiet. She then made her way out of the tent, knowing that Ubbe would follow.

"What is wrong?" Ubbe whispered. He used his fingers to comb down his messy hair.

"Let's find a place where we can talk comfortably without being heard," Brynja said as she grabbed his hand and led him near the place that they had all been sitting earlier that day.

Once they were sitting, Ubbe waited for her to begin to speak, but words never came.

"What is it?" He asked again. He could see in her eyes that something was deeply troubling her.

"I am carrying your brother's child," Brynja knew no other way to break the news.

Ubbe seemed shocked for a moment. She waited for him to say something. Anything.

"Are you happy?" He asked. He didn't know whether he should congratulate his friend or feel pity for her.

"Yes, I am happy. I have always wanted a child more than I have wanted anything," she answered. "But I am terrified."

"Why are you terrified?" Ubbe could barely wrap his tired mind around the fact that she was going to have a baby.

"So many reasons," a tear fell down her face as her voice started to shake. "Childbirth is what killed my mother. What if it kills me too? I don't want to leave this baby alone. I don't know if Bjorn will acknowledge it as his. He has grown tired of me. I can tell. If I live through the birthing, I will be raising the child by myself; and if I die, it will have no one."

Ubbe rubbed her back as he began to speak. He knew that Bjorn and Brynja had fought earlier, but he didn't know what it was about.

"You know that Bjorn will take care of his child," Ubbe began. "Whether or not you are his companion. He is stressed right now. We all are. Give him time, and he might give his attention to you the way he did before. And just because you mother died during childbirth doesn't mean you are fated to as well. The gods gave you the opportunity to be a mother, and I know you will be a great one. And if Bjorn is not there to help raise the child, then I will do everything I can to help you."

Tears streamed down her face as she hugged her friend. "You are a great man," she said. His words seemed to comfort her at least for a moment.

"You can sleep with me tonight, if you don't want to share a tent with Bjorn," He told the woman in his arms. He had figured that she would be avoiding Bjorn for a while. Ubbe himself had heard Bjorn scream at her from quite a distance away.

* * *

Brynja found herself looking at Ubbe's sleeping face again. His arm wrapped around her waist as he snored lightly into his pillow.

This moment reminded her of the nights that she would sneak in with him when they were both young—the nights where she wasn't able to handle her father.

She began to feel sick as she thought about her father. She prayed to the gods that her child would never feel the overwhelming need to escape her, like she had often felt while growing up.

She wondered if the child inside her was a boy or a girl. She knew that Bjorn would want a son, but she didn't mind the idea of raising a daughter. If it was a son, she could teach it how to fight. But, if it was a girl, she could braid her daughter's hair and tell her stories about how she had met Bjorn.

She was still worried about the child, and her relationship with Bjorn. But at the moment, all she felt was excitement for the future.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I know this chapter is a bit short and dry, but it was needed. Next chapter will hopefully be better! Things will really begin to get interesting once I start writing out season 5 (which should be after the next chapter or two). As always, please leave me a review. A lot of you have said that you would like to see certain things happen in the story, and I really do consider your opinions before I write each chapter.**


	9. The Murder

**this chapter is kinda long, and officially the last chapter written over Season 4!**

 **Please leave a review!**

* * *

Chapter 9- The Murder

"We have to decide what to do with King Ecbert," Bjorn stated as he reached up to grab the cage that the older man was sitting in.

Brynja leaned against the wall as she glanced up at the king.

"I don't understand," Ivar began. "What is there to discuss? We Blood Eagle him. Ecbert is as guilty as Aelle, so we should do the same thing to him. I've told you this too many times, brothers. I was here. I saw Ecbert hand Father over to King Aelle."

"We all understand those feelings, Ivar," Bjorn shouted. "No one is denying what you are saying. But, sometimes... sometimes…we have to consider things beyond our feelings and think about what is best for our people!"

"I know what our people want, Bjorn," Ivar began to speak before his brother had finished. "And they want what I want."

"We have to consider our position of strength," Bjorn growled through his gritted teeth. "And use that to our ultimate advantage!"

Ivar laughed. "You always like to complicate things, Bjorn. You think it makes you look clever."

If looks could kill, Bjorn would have just murdered his youngest brother.

"And what if we kill Ecbert, Ivar?" Ubbe chimed in. "What then?"

"Well, then he's dead, Ubbe!" The tone in Ivar's voice was condescending.

"We are in the middle of an enemy kingdom," Bjorn was obviously growing tired of Ivar's opinions. "How long will it be before the Saxon forces gather up another army and drive us away?"

"Exactly!" Ivar's voice sounded almost cheerful. "So, we Blood Eagle Ecbert and then we move on! We raid this entire land, so that they never have a chance to assemble another army again! Why would we even want to stay here?"

"It is what our father wanted," Ubbe spoke up. "He didn't just want to win battles. He wanted land here. He wanted to make settlements, so our people could live and they could work."

"Mhmm, and we all know what happened," Ivar stated.

"Yes," Hvitserk was now speaking. "But, in those days, he did not hold a king for ransom. Nor did he have a great army. We do."

"What about you, Sigurd? You've been very quiet so far." Ivar looked to his brother. "I'm sure you have an opinion."

Sigurd seemed to think things over before he spoke. "I agree with you, Ivar."

"Excuse me?" Ivar seemed shock that Sigurd would ever take his side.

"We should Blood Eagle him," Sigurd stated.

"Finally! Thank you!" and overjoyed Ivar shouted.

"But, I'm not sure. I'm not sure what they're saying."

"What I am saying," Bjorn pressed his knuckles against his forehead. Anger was evident on his face. "Is that we should do what our father always wanted."

Brynja closed her eyes as she thought to herself. At this point, she knew that Ivar would eventually try to overthrow his brothers. She wondered how far it would go before someone stopped him.

The clanking of chains from above her caused her to turn her attention to the King caged above her.

"Yes?" Bjorn asked.

"I'd like to speak," Ecbert asked for permission before he continued.

Bjorn waved his hand, signaling for the king to continue.

"Well," Ecbert began. "I understand most of what you say. And, I speak a little of your language now."

The man grunted and sighed as he moved in his cage—trying to get closer to the sons of Ragnar.

"I loved your father," he stated. "He was my friend. And I know that, more than anything, he wanted to build a farming community here."

"And you killed all the settlers," Ivar argued.

"Yes," Ecbert admitted. "It's true. I did. But, now the tables have turned. We can make a new deal."

"What are you proposing?" Bjorn asked.

"Well, as you say, it's only a matter of time before you're driven away from here. Without any legal rights to English lands, you have no hope of staying." Ecbert made his point clear. "I am king of kings. And, I can give you that legal right. I will give you legal claim to the Kingdom of East Anglia. It's a large kingdom. Because I am king, no one can question that claim. And, it seems that you have enough men to enforce it until it holds. That's my offer. You should consider it."

The brothers looked at each other while they considered the proposal.

"What do you want in return?" Ubbe asked as he touched the bottom of the cage.

Silence filled the room before Ecbert spoke.

"I'll only tell you that once you agree to my proposal."

* * *

Brynja sat on the floor deep in thought.

Bjorn had asked her to watch over Ecbert for the time being.

Bjorn had apologized for yelling at her, but she still did her best to avoid him. He seemed angry all the time lately. And, she knew that he was not thrilled at the idea of telling his wife that another woman was carrying his child. She figured he needed time to think, and she freely gave that to him.

"You're a pretty girl," the king's voice spoke up.

"Thank you," She replied in a short manner. The air between them felt awkward.

"Are you married to one of Ragnar's sons?" He asked, once again disrupting the peace between them.

"No," she answered honestly. At one point, she thought that she would be Bjorn's companion, but it was becoming more and more obvious that, that was not to be.

"Ah," Ecbert nodded his head in understanding. "Then why are you with them, and not the rest of your people?"

Brynja shrugged her shoulder's and turned her head away from him.

"Are you a warrior?" the man seemed to be full of questions.

Brynja didn't know how to answer his questions anymore. She was well-known for her skills with a sword. But, now she had her child to worry about.

"They have to kill you, you know," Brynja stated. There was no way that the king would escaped the grasp of the sons of Ragnar alive.

"Yes," he answered. "I know."

Silence once again filled the air, until the echoing sound of footsteps filled the room.

Brynja stood up once she saw Bjorn make his appearance. She watched as he walked closer to the caged king.

"I accept your offer of land," Bjorn finally stated. "But for what you did to my father, you must die."

"Then I'll tell you what it is I want," Ecbert looked into the eyes of the man below him. "All I want is to choose the manner of my own death."

"I agree," Bjorn said as he turned around and began to walk out.

Once he reached the door, he stopped.

"Brynja, come with me," Bjorn demanded softly. "I will tell Sigurd to guard Ecbert."

* * *

Bjorn and Brynja stood in a room of the castle alone. He had yet to speak.

"I know you're scared," He began. "And I have not helped matters."

He rested his hand on her shoulder as he looked into her eyes.

"Once we return to Kattegat, I will tell Torvi that my love for her has ended and that you are with child. Then we will marry," he assured her. "I will not leave you or this child alone."

"Do you care for me, Bjorn?" she asked. "Or do you feel like you have to do this?"

Bjorn paused before he spoke.

"You are a strong woman. You would make a good wife," Bjorn replied.

Brynja quickly realized that he avoided the question as much as possible.

"Promise me something," she crossed her arms. "Promise me that you will not marry me out of pity. If you marry me, marry me for love."

Bjorn nodded her head and pulled her close before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

* * *

Brynja waited patiently with the others outside as Bjorn and Ecbert disappeared into the bath.

He had chosen to take his own life in his favorite room. Brynja was surprised that Bjorn had agreed to it.

"Bjorn said that he apologized," Ubbe softly stated as he approached her.

"Yes," she confirmed. "He said that once we return home he will end his relationship with Torvi and marry me."

Ubbe nodded his head.

"I have asked you this once before, but I will ask you again: Do you love him?" Ubbe watched the door, waiting for Bjorn to reemerge.

Brynja wanted to say yes. If for no other reason, then just to convince herself that everything would work out.

"No," her voice was as quiet as a whisper. "But I am having his child, and I will learn to love him."

* * *

Brynja sat between Bjorn and Ubbe as a feast was held to celebrate the victory of the Great Heathen Army.

She gritted her teeth as Bjorn loudly blew the horn to get everyone's attention.

As the crowd quieted down, Bjorn stood.

"Friends," Bjorn began his speech. "No one will ever be able to doubt what we have achieved. An army of all our peoples. And we have defeated—not one—but two English kingdoms!"

The crowd cheered as Bjorn raised his drink.

As Brynja watched him, she couldn't help but smile. Seeing the excitement in his eyes and watching the way he led the people was very attractive to her.

"For us, the sons of Ragnar," he continued to speak. "Our first duty was to avenge our father's death. And that, we have done. But also, we have achieved out father's dream. We have the legal right to the land, and to farm here!"

Cheers once again erupted from the people.

"It is up to all of you to use this opportunity. To send over new settlers and young families!" Bjorn paused and glanced down at the pregnant woman sitting beside him before he continued to speak.

"Unfortunately, I will not be here to see this new settlement grow and thrive," Bjorn looked down at Brynja again as her smile quickly faded. "My fate will take me elsewhere. I always knew that I had to return to explore the Mediterranean Sea. And, now I feel free to follow my destiny."

Brynja felt as if her morning sickness was hitting her again. She felt betrayed and angry. Bjorn had just promised that he would return with her to Kattegat and that he would marry her. For a second, she thought maybe he planned on her joining him, but surely he did not expect her to travel with him to an unknown place when she was carrying his child. She and the baby could both end up dead.

It was then that it all hit her at once. He did not plan on her going with him at all. Nor did he plan on going with her to Kattegat. He was leaving her and the child.

She wanted to cry, but she had been crying too much lately.

She decided to act as if she wasn't phased by him leaving her.

Her hands shook as she brought her drink up to her mouth.

"But, my brothers will be here for you," Bjorn opened his arms wide. "Skol!" he declared as he raised his drink once more.

He then sat back down in his chair.

Once seated, Bjorn reached over to grab Brynja's shaking hand—a silent way to express that he was sorry.

She quickly yanked her hand away from him, never once looking in his direction. Her angry eyes stayed focus on whatever was in front of her. She knew that if she looked at him, she wouldn't be able to hold in her anger.

"I will be here, but not to settle down and plow," Ivar spoke to the crowd before him. "Who wants to be a farmer now? Hmm? We have a great army and we should use it!"

His fist hit the wooden table.

"There are many other places that I want to attack and raid. And those of you who feel like I do, you should come with me! And those of you who don't, ask yourself 'who can stand in our way now'!"

The crowd cheered loudly for Ivar.

Brynja's anger towards Bjorn took a backseat as she now began to worry about Ivar.

"You cannot lead the army, Ivar" Ubbe addressed him quietly.

"I don't want to, Ubbe," Ivar argued. "All I am saying is that for those who are still brave enough to raid and find adventure, that I will lead them. You can put on an apron and settle down if you want to." Ivar patted the table in front of his older brother.

Brynja watched closely. Though she felt pity for Ivar, she also feared him. He was beginning to overstep his brothers. And with his arbitrary mindset, she knew Ivar would be unstoppable if he gained too much power. She wondered why his brothers didn't put him in his place now—before it became too late.

Ubbe smiled at the youngest brother, but aggravation was evident on his face.

"It will take a great man, Ivar," Hvitserk spoke up for Ubbe. "To stake a claim here—defend it."

"Ah," Ivar spoke slowly. "That does not sound like yourself, dear brother. The Hvitserk I know loves to raid. He's a real Viking. What you just said—that is not the Viking way. So..."

Ivar then turned and began to speak to the crowd. "Who among you will follow me? Who will follow me into battle? For the love of fame and for the love of Odin, our all-father!"

Ivar screamed as they began to cheer him on wildly.

Brynja reached under the table and squeezed Bjorn's knee—hoping that he would speak up and silence the youngest brother.

"Don't do this, Ivar," Sigurd was the one to speak up. "We are all the sons of Ragnar, and we have to stick together."

Frankly, dear Sigurd, I don't care what you say," Ivar smiled. "The truth is, I wouldn't even piss down your throat if your lungs were on fire."

Ivar poured his drink on the ground as the crowd began to chuckle at Ivar's cruel words.

Ubbe stabbed his knife in the table out of irritation.

"Well," Sigurd smirked, "Maybe that is because you're not really a man, are you, boneless?"

The crowd murmured as all color left Ivar's face.

"So," Bjorn interrupted the fight between his brothers. "Who is going to stay and farm?"

"I would like to stay." Harald rose from his seat as he spoke. "But I have other plans." He lifted his drink to Bjorn. "Skol."

Bjorn nodded his head to show that there were no hard feelings.

"As for me," Halfdan now spoke. "I want to go with Bjorn. I want to see the Mediterranean."

Bjorn jumped over the table.

"Then it seems," Bjorn began as he wrapped Halfdan in a brotherly hug. "The only thing that really kept the sons of Ragnar together was the death of their father."

Brynja's blood boiled as she watched Bjorn. She understood why he would leave her, but she couldn't grasp why he wouldn't want to be there when his child was born.

"Poor Bjorn," Ivar spoke up. "It is you that doesn't want to keep the army together. It is you that wants to go away to sunny places! Everyone else can follow me."

"I do not want to follow you, Ivar!" Sigurd stood as he spoke. "You're crazy! You have the mind of a child!"

"And all you do is play music, Sigurd," Ivar growled.

"I am just as much a son of Ragnar as you are," Sigurd spat back.

"I'm not so sure," Ivar disagreed. "As far as I remember, Ragnar didn't play the oud. And, he certainly didn't offer his arse to other men!"

Ubbe and Brynja sat between the arguing men as the crowd laughed.

"You make me laugh, just like you do when you crawl around like a baby."

"Shut your mouth!" Ivar screamed at Sigurd.

"Enough!" Bjorn finally demanded.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Ivar screamed at Bjorn.

"What's the matter, Ivar? You can't take it?" Sigurd taunted.

"Ivar, don't listen to him," Ubbe spoke to his angry brother calmly.

"No, I guess it must be hard for you now that your mommy's dead," Sigurd continued. "Knowing she's the only one who ever really loved you."

Uncontrollable rage burned through Ivar's eyes as he reached to grab the ax next to him.

"Ivar! Ivar!" Ubbe screamed.

Ivar threw the ax straight into Sigurd's chest.

Brynja let out a short scream as she clung to Ubbe's shoulder.

Sigurd stood for a moment before he pulled the weapon out of his chest. Making his way to Ivar, he raised the ax as he prepared to kill the youngest brother, but before he could make it, he collapsed on the ground.

Brynja, Ubbe, and Hvitserk quickly made their way to Sigurd, checking to see if he was alive. But he was gone before they ever reached him.

As Ubbe cried over his fallen brother, Brynja placed her hand on his back. But, she knew that her touch most likely provided no comfort.

She raised her head and looked into Ivar's icy blue eyes. Even he seemed to be shocked that he had just murdered his own brother.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it! Next chapter will be much more interesting! But, I might have to play with the timeline a bit so it fits Brynja's pregnancy. I'm not really sure how long the time-span is between Season 4 and Season 5. And I'm not sure how long Bjorn is gone. If anyone would like to help me figure this out, please leave a review.**

 **Also, if you like the story (or even if you hate it), leave a review. I love hearing your thoughts.**


	10. The Departure

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! You're all the best!**

 **I'm playing with the storyline a bit so it fits Brynja's pregnancy. I hope that doesn't bother anyone too much.**

* * *

Chapter 10- The Departure

"You cannot leave him in charge of the Great Army," Ubbe said to Bjorn once Ivar had left the room.

"That is your affair, Ubbe," Bjorn countered. "You're his big brother. You take charge. It's none of my concern. I plan on returning to the Mediterranean… with Halfdan."

"Will you return first to Kattegat?" Harald asked.

Brynja lifted her head and looked at Bjorn as she waited to hear his answer. Their eyes immediately locked.

"I have no intention on doing that," Bjorn looked away from Brynja. "My fate is too urgent."

"Then I will go there," Harald sighed. "And I will tell Lagertha about the avenging of your father's death, and the defeat of the Saxons, and the great gift of land to our people."

"And tell my mother," Bjorn spoke as he glanced at Brynja. Her sad eyes were glued to the ground. "And Torvi, and the children, that I think of them, and I will return… If the gods will it"

Harald nodded his head. "Skol," he stated as he lifted his drink toward Bjorn.

"Brynja," Bjorn said softly. "Please speak with me outside."

Brynja rolled her eyes as she followed him. Once they were away from the door, she crossed her arms as she began to speak.

"I understand why you're leaving me. And I do not care," She paused for a moment as she calmed herself down. "But I do not understand how you can leave your child."

Brynja was fairly young when Bjorn had a daughter with Porunn. But she remembered that once Porunn left, Bjorn seemed to not care for his daughter. The poor child was taken in by Aslaug, who more or less ignored her.

"I am not leaving the child, or you," Bjorn tried to comfort her. "When I come back, we will be together, and I will have another beautiful son."

Brynja scraped at the dirt beneath her feet as he spoke. She was beginning to realize that she couldn't trust Bjorn to keep his promises.

"And what if I go back to Kattegat? What do I tell Torvi about my growing stomach?"

Bjorn sighed.

"Tell Torvi the truth. I am sure she won't hold it against you."

"So, I am supposed to just show up and tell everyone I am carrying your child?" Brynja couldn't believe that she was the one that was going to have to break the news to Torvi.

"Yes," Bjorn answered.

* * *

Brynja stood by the ship as she watched the people board it.

"You came to say goodbye to me," Bjorn stated as he approached her.

"I am carrying your child," Brynja retorted. "It felt wrong to not see you off."

"Well, I am glad you are here," Bjorn pulled her in for a hug.

As he pulled away, he noticed the small bump that was beginning to show on her stomach.

"You will be a great mother," Bjorn stated as a pressed his hand against her stomach. "I can't wait to see you both when I return."

"We will be here," Brynja assured him as she rested her hand on top of his.

"We have to leave," Halfdan said as he approached Bjorn.

He then turned his attention to Brynja. He hugged her close.

"If you don't want people to know the child is his, you can always say it's mine," Halfdan joked, causing her to laugh.

"That is a more tempting offer than you realize," Brynja smiled into his shoulder.

The hug ended and Halfdan looked down at the young woman.

"I hope the poor child looks more like you."

* * *

Brynja and Ubbe watched as Bjorn and his men sailed away.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she answered honestly. "I don't care that he is leaving me. It is the idea of my child growing up without a father that saddens me."

"If your child does not have a father who is there for him, he will always have an uncle who loves him," Ubbe looked down at her as her eyes grew big.

"Ubbe," she almost shouted. "I think he is kicking!"

Her hand reached to touch her stomach as a large smile lit up her face.

"He has never kicked before," her face seemed to glow. "Feel it," she demanded as she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach.

He paid close attention as he waited to feel her stomach move. After what seemed like forever, a small bump pressed against his hand.

"I felt it," he smiled.

The excited woman wrapped him in a hug.

"I am glad you are here," she smiled. "It lightens my heart to be able to share this with someone. My child is lucky to have such an uncle."

* * *

"Speaking for our father, I think we should claim and settle the land given to us by Ecbert," Ubbe said as he looked over at Ivar. "Saxons are in disarray. This is a good opportunity. We have the resources to make a permanent settlement."

Brynja ate her meal quietly next to the men as she listened to them speak.

"Do you agree, Ivar?" Hvitserk asked.

"I don't want to disband the army," Ivar answered. "In fact, I want to continue the war against the Saxons while we are still in a position of strength. My suggestions is that we go back north, to where we defeated Aelle. We should establish a permanent camp, as you say, but near the coast—so we can raid wherever we want."

"Our father's dream was that we wouldn't be just raiders," Ubbe told Ivar. "That we would behave in a different way."

"You are not listening, Ubbe," Ivar tried to reason. "We have to have a stronghold. If we go north, we are closer to our own lands and shipping routes. We can build an impregnable fortress."

"Where?" Hvitserk asked.

"I've heard of a town called York," Ivar answered. "It is built on a major river and it is not far from the sea. And, I think that we should take it."

"No," Ubbe spoke up. "It would seem like a withdrawal."

"Yes," Ivar said. "It would. But, it is only tactical. Surely, you understand, Ubbe. If we establish ourselves in the middle of the country, then we are surrounded by enemies. In York, we are near our home. Right, Hvitserk?"

Hvitserk paused as he was forced to choose between his two brothers.

"I agree with Ivar," the middle brother stated. "We should go north and attack York."

Brynja looked over at Ubbe in time to see a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

Ubbe nodded his head as a look of triumph was plastered all over Ivar's face.

"It's good," Ubbe replied as he faked a smile.

He quickly got up from the table and left.

Brynja looked at the brothers remaining at the table. She rolled her eyes at Ivar before following after Ubbe.

* * *

"Why do you let him do that?" she asked once she had caught up with him.

"Hvitserk agreed that it was the better plan," Ubbe answered.

"Ubbe," Brynja cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look straight at her. "If you do not show Ivar his place, this will end in ruins."

Ubbe nodded his head but didn't speak.

"I would follow you anywhere, Ubbe. And I am not just saying that because you are my friend." Brynja's hands still hadn't left his face. "You are wise. And I think that out of all of Ragnar's sons, you would make the best king."

"You really believe that?" Ubbe looked into her eyes.

"Yes," the brunette woman answered softly.

She smiled up at the handsome man as her hands dropped from his face to her sides.

"Do you ever think about the night we shared together?" Ubbe asked as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Yes," she answered again. Her cheeks quickly began to color. A part of Brynja assumed that he had forgotten that they had ever slept together.

She often thought about how gentle he was compared to Bjorn.

"I do as well," he stated as he looked down at the woman.

* * *

Brynja's hand rested on top of her ever-growing stomach as she walked beside Ubbe and Hvitserk.

A group of armed Viking men began to surround them.

"Let us through," Ubbe said as a tall, scary man with white hair approached them.

Brynja was unsure if it was her nerves or the child pressing against her bladder, but she suddenly began to feel anxious.

"Do you know who we are?" Ubbe asked the men in front of him.

"We know who you are," the white-haired man said as he stood directly in front of Ubbe. "What do you want?"

"I want to speak to my brother, Ivar," Ubbe stated. "Now get out of my way."

"I'll ask him, and see if it is okay," the white-haired giant replied.

Brynja grabbed the back of Ubbe's arm. She was no longer experiencing any morning sickness, but something about this situation just made her stomach churn.

She knew Ivar would seek to overthrow his brothers, but she never imagined that he would get the people to support him so quickly.

"No. You won't," Ubbe's voice was low. Brynja released her grip on his arm. She figured that soon they might be in the middle of a fight. "Because you will not have a tongue to ask him with. I will nail you to that post just over there. Do you understand?"

The two men glared at each other for what felt like a century.

Brynja began to slowly reach for the knife which was placed on her hip.

The giant then looked at her, and upon seeing her belly, nodded his head at Ubbe. The guards then created a small path for the three of them to squeeze through.

As they approached Ivar, Brynja noticed that he was in the process of getting a tattoo.

"Hvitserk! Brynja! Ubbe!" Ivar shouted as he greeted them. "Did you take a look around? The work on strengthening the defenses is going well."

"Why do you need guards to protect you from your own brothers?" Brynja threw her hands up as she confronted Ivar.

"What?" Ivar scoffed at the woman in front of him.

"We were just stopped by your bodyguards. Why do you need them?" Ubbe asked. "Do you need protection against us? Against your brothers?"

"Of course not," Ivar answered.

"Then why have them?" Hvitserk asked.

"I'm a cripple," Ivar stated. "I need a bodyguard."

Ubbe looked at Brynja and thought about what the woman had said to him before.

"It's not just the bodyguard, Ivar," he stated. "The fact is, you never seem to consult us about anything. It's as if you now think you are the leader of our Great Army."

"Do you think you are the leader?" Ubbe asked as he bent down to look Ivar straight in the eye.

"No, I don't," Ivar answered. "Why would I ever think such a thing?"

"I am glad to hear you say that," Ubbe replied. "Because, you are not the leader. We three brothers are the leaders together, as our father would have wished."

"We are older than you, Ivar," Hvitserk chimed in. "You can't push us aside. It's unacceptable."

"No," Ivar stated. "You're right, Hvitserk. But, you two have to understand that it is harder for me to share and stake my claim. I truly want to be your equal. But, in order for me to do so, I have to be better than you. I have to make you forget that I'm a cripple."

"Listen, Ivar," Ubbe began. "We know what you are. And, we accept what you are. It makes no difference to us. You are just our brother."

"Don't try to make us feel sorry for you," Hvitserk smiled. "Because, my brother, we never will."

"There's a large Saxon force on its way here," Ubbe began to address the real reason he had come to speak to his youngest brother. "But I thought you'd already know that."

Ubbe nodded his head towards Brynja and Hvitserk before turning and beginning to leave.

Ivar watched as the three of them walked away.

* * *

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **As always, please leave a review!**


	11. The Traitors

**Hi guys! This chapter is kind of a boring one, and it's pretty short... But, next chapter will be about their return to Kattegat. I am super excited! It will be a good one, and I will do my best to start writing it tonight!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11- The Traitors**

"We did well, brothers," Ubbe said as the crowd shouted in victory.

"We?" Ivar questioned.

"Yes," Ubbe answered. "I saved your life."

"It was all my strategy," Ivar argued. He obviously believed that he deserved the majority of the credit. "And you know that."

"We all did very well, though," Hvitserk chimed in. "Why do you argue?"

"I'm not arguing!" Ivar shouted in defense.

Brynja looked at the youngest brother and immediately saw his bloodshot eye. It had been wounded in battle, and the sight of it seemed to make her own eyes water.

"Good," Ubbe retorted. "The most important thing is what we do next."

"And isn't that obvious, Ubbe?" Ivar asked.

"Yes," Ubbe answered. "We have defeated the Saxons. Let's make good our claim to the land. Let's all make peace."

"I have no interest in peace," Ivar stated. " _Peace_ is a dirty word. "

"More of our people can cross the water," Ubbe ignored his brother's comment. "We can all farm, huh? Now, it is time to negotiate."

"And, that is the wrong advice, as always Ubbe," Ivar's tone was harsh.

"So, Ivar, what do you suggest?" Hvitserk stood as he spoke.

"The Saxons lost the battle, but they have not yet lost the war. I would beware of trying to negotiate with them."

* * *

Brynja awoke by someone gently grabbing her arm.

As her blurry, tired eyes cleared, she could clearly see Ubbe's bright, blue eyes despite their dark surroundings.

He put a finger to his lips, signaling for her to remain quiet.

"We are leaving," He stated before helping the pregnant woman get on her feet.

* * *

Brynja entered the tent slowly behind Ubbe and Hvitserk. She had a bad feeling about Ubbe's plan, but she trusted that he would never put her in a dangerous situation.

The king began to speak in his own language, and though Brynja could understand the language, she was not good at speaking it.

"You are the victors," the man stated. "Why do you come to see us."

"We want to make peace," Ubbe stated. "We don't want to fight anymore."

Brynja rested her hand on her stomach as she listened.

"We want to claim our land," Ubbe continued to explain.

The man standing beside the king spat on the ground as Ubbe finished speaking—showing that he didn't want them to take the land.

Brynja looked him over. She couldn't help but think that his large ears made him look foolish.

* * *

"They want to make peace," Aethelwulf chuckled. "Claim the land that my father gave them. Ubbe and Hvitserk, two sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, offering to lay down their arms."

"They are very brave warriors," Bishop Heahmund stated. "I saw that today."

"We must consider their offer," Alfred spoke up.

His thoughts were still plagued by the pregnant woman that had came with the sons of Ragnar. He wondered why they had brought her with them. Was she a wife to one of the brothers? Did she just follow her husband as he raided village after village? Was she a warrior? Would her child become a warrior as well? Had they only brought her because they thought her swollen belly was more likely to convince his father to agree to their offer?

He knew that his father could easily decide that they would kill their visitors, including the soon-to-be-mother and her unborn child.

"My father had no right to grant them that land," Aethelwulf stated. "He was no longer king."

"But now you are king. And you can offer it." Alfred pointed out. "As a man of God, do you not advocate peace and mercy?" Alfred directed his question towards the bishop.

"Yes," Heahmund answered. "Of course, my prince."

* * *

Brynja sat beside Ubbe in the tent as they patiently waited for word from the king.

She jumped when she heard the sound of a guard scream in pain from behind her.

Before she could move, a sword was placed against her throat.

She sat there frozen—terrified to move, but also terrified to just sit there.

The bishop then appeared in the tent. Brynja watched as he slowly walked closer to them. He kneeled in front of Ubbe, picking up the knife that laid on the grown.

He turned as if he were going to speak to the guard beside him.

Quickly and unexpectedly, he hit Ubbe in the face with the blade.

Brynja screamed loudly as Ubbe fell to the ground. Every inch of her wanted to check on him and see how bad the damage was, but the sword placed against her neck was a reminder that a child's life was in her hands.

As Ubbe pushed himself back up to his knees, he was quickly struck down with the blade again before the bishop spat on him and left the tent.

Tears silently fell down Brynja's cheeks. She worried that she and the baby wouldn't make it out alive. She worried that she would be forced to sit and watch as the man she loved was beat to death. Her mind rapidly spun as she tried to figure out how she could save them. She couldn't fight them. She wasn't armed. She considered begging for their lives or even pleading to the Christian god. But, she knew nothing would help.

* * *

"Welcome back brothers," Ivar chuckled. "Brynja."

He smirked as he stared at the dirt-covered woman. Brynja had to look away from him. She had never felt so much public humiliation in her life.

"Oh, you look thirsty," Ivar stated as the men in the room laughed. "Are you thirsty?"

"I know you shouldn't say 'I told you so'," he began to gloat. "But I told you so."

Brynja's cheeks turned red as fire as the laughing behind her grew louder.

"Ivar, we went—" Ubbe began to speak but the youngest brother quickly interrupted him.

"No no no," Ivar's voice seemed too cheerful. "Let me guess. You went to the Saxons and tried to make a deal, and they spoke sweet words to you. Hmm?"

He began to laugh.

"But, of course, you were brave. You fought back," The men once again to laugh loudly as Ivar spoke. "You fought back, right? You didn't let them get away with that, huh?"

Ubbe looked up at his brother in defeat. "I was just trying—"

"You made a bad call!" Ivar screamed.

Brynja closed her eyes tightly. Her heart ached for Ubbe.

"You showed yourself to be weak," Ivar continued. "You three are lucky to be alive. And, now it is finally time for you to recognize me as the rightful leader of the Great Army."

Silence filled the room.

Ubbe stood from his seat slowly. Brynja guessed that, much like herself, his body ached from the night before.

"As your older brother," Ubbe spoke softly as he walked closer to Ivar. He was stopped by the guard in front of him. He glared at the guard for a long time before he finished speaking. "As your older brother, I will never, ever accept that."

Hvitserk rose to stand beside Ubbe.

"In any case, it would be a dereliction of duty," Ubbe stated as he turned to face the people behind him. "And, after all, doesn't someone have to be responsible for the care of our people?"

"Hmm, it doesn't seem to me that you have taken that good care of them so far," Ivar interjected.

Brynja could see the hurt in Ubbe's eyes as he turned to face Ivar.

"You cannot—" Ubbe began to speak but quickly noticed that Ivar was whispering to the guard beside him.

"Ivar," Ubbe called out to gain his brother's attention, yet Ivar acted as if he did not even hear the man calling for him.

"Ivar," Ubbe called again. His tone came out more like a growl. Ivar still seemed to be ignoring him.

"Ivar!" Ubbe shouted.

Brynja could not remember a time that she had ever heard his voice filled with so much rage.

She slowly stood from her seat and made her way towards Ubbe. She felt as though every inch of her body was sore. Once she reached Ubbe, she stayed slightly behind him, but rested her hand on his shoulder so that he would know that someone was still on his side.

Ivar finally looked over to acknowledge the angry man before him.

"You cannot continue to fight in England without Hvitserk and me," Ubbe stated.

A large grin formed on Ivar's lips as his brother finished speaking.

"I think that you will find that more of our warriors and shield-maidens want to fight with me, than go farm with you two," Ivar's tone was cold.

"Right?" He asked the crowd. "Right?" he asked again in a louder tone.

"Then Hvitserk and I will go back to Kattegat tomorrow with our forces," Ubbe announced.

"If that is your decision," Ivar shrugged.

Brynja followed Ubbe as he turned to leave.

Suddenly he paused and looked back at Ivar.

"Our father would have hated you for sundering and splitting his family," Ubbe glared up at the youngest brother.

Ivar smiled at the harsh comment he had received. "I don't think so," he replied quietly.

* * *

"Look at you," Brynja heard Ivar shout as she got on the boat. She was determined not to acknowledge his existence. "Trying to sneak away to avoid your shame. Surely you must be embarrassed that nobody else is with you. Now, why is that? I can't understand it, can you?"

"Ubbe!" Ivar screamed loudly. His older brother ignoring him seemed to be grating on his last nerve. "Nobody is with you!"

Brynja made her way to Ubbe as Ivar continued to scream.

Once she had reached him, she wrapped him in a hug.

"I think you have grown even bigger than you were yesterday," Ubbe chuckled.

"If I was not with child, I would drown you for saying that," she joked.

She stood on the tips of her toes so that she could whisper into his ear.

"Do not doubt yourself, Ubbe," she said to him.

"Let's go," Ubbe said once Brynja had released her hold on him.

As Ubbe looked over at Hvitserk, he could see in his eyes that something was wrong. He could see that his brother was suddenly having second thoughts.

Brynja was shocked as she watched Hvitserk jump off the boat to go be with Ivar. She could not understand what would possess him to do such a thing.

The sadness in her heart grew as she looked at Ubbe. She admired his ability to stay strong in such circumstances. She wondered how he did it.

"Hvitserk will regret it," she told him. "He is making a foolish choice. Once we reach Kattegat, you will have many supporters."

Ubbe nodded his wounded head.

"When do you think this child will be born?" he asked—changing the topic.

"Hopefully for all of us, not until after I am off this boat." She chuckled.

"Are you ready to see Margrethe?" Brynja asked. Despite her own feelings towards the woman, Brynja hoped that the memory of his wife would cheer Ubbe up.

"Yes," Ubbe answered, but his face seemed to hint that the thought of his bride did not excite him.

* * *

 **Again, next chapter will be a super exciting one. So, you don't want to miss it!**

 **Please leave a review! You guys know how much I love them! And, I am so thankful to have such loyal reviewers. You are noticed and appreciated.**


	12. The Baby: Part One

**Okay, I am actually splitting this chapter in half (just to add some suspense). Please leave me a review!**

* * *

Chapter 12- The Child: Part One

Brynja's heart began to beat quickly as she stepped off the boat. She could hear Margrethe calling for Ubbe in the crowd, and once her eyes landed on the former servant, she noticed Bjorn's wife standing next to her.

As Brynja approached Torvi, she looked over to see Ubbe passionately kissing Margrethe.

"Torvi," she offered a faint smile. The blonde woman looked her in the eyes, and then glanced down at her extremely large stomach.

"May I speak with you?" Brynja asked.

* * *

Torvi and Brynja sat quietly at Torvi's table. The table where Torvi ate meals with her husband and their children.

Brynja picked at her thumbnail as she looked for the right words to say.

She felt so guilty. She knew the words that were about to come out of her mouth would hurt the woman.

"I know why you're here," Torvi spoke up. Brynja's breath caught in her throat. "I know you and Bjorn were together. I saw it when you first came back after leaving for the Mediterranean. Is the child his?"

Brynja was almost too shocked to answer.

"Y-yes," Brynja choked out. "I am sorry. I have no excuses for my actions, and I want you to know that I respect you with all my heart. I only ask that the child does not suffer because of what Bjorn and I have done. I want my child to know his father."

Torvi exchanged a sad smile.

"It takes a brave woman to seek out a man's wife and tell him such news," she began. "It is an admirable quality. Bjorn has slept with many women through our marriage. I hold no ill-will."

Brynja relaxed as the weight of the burden was taken off of her shoulders.

"Torvi," the brunette spoke slowly. "I hope that we can put this behind us and learn to be friends. I know nothing about children, and you are such a great mother. I would love for you to teach me how to care for my child."

* * *

"You are more than ever welcomed back to our hearts, Ubbe and Brynja," Lagertha stated. "And I am happy to hear the news of having another grandchild. Despite the circumstances, you and the child are a gift to my family."

Brynja thanked Lagertha, and quickly glanced over at Torvi to make sure that the comment didn't upset her.

Lagertha stood behind Margrethe's chair and waited for the girl to move. Once Margrethe noticed, she rose from her seat and scowled as she unwillingly gave it to Lagertha.

"We have all heard of the successes of our Great Army," Lagertha continued to speak as she sat down. "How you revenged Ragnar's death, overcame both Aelle and Ecbert. I thank my own son, but also you and all the sons of Ragnar for these immortal events."

"Then you must have heard of Sigurd's death," Ubbe spoke. "And his challenge to Bjorn that he was the leader of the Great Army. I want to tell you both," he looked over from Lagertha to Torvi. "Bjorn Ironside behaved himself throughout with great honor and courage. I love and admire him as a brother."

Torvi smiled sadly as she listened to Ubbe.

"Thank you for your words about Bjorn," Torvi said quietly. "He is a good man. I know that."

Brynja stared at the table as she once again was overcame by guilt. Torvi had forgiven her. It was not the first time that Bjorn had been with another woman. But, she felt as though she had broken a family.

"But, Ivar is a different story," Ubbe continued to speak. "He tore us apart. As far as I am concerned, I am now at war with Ivar. My brother, Hvitserk, he has decided with Ivar. So, he is now an enemy."

"Let us make a pack," Lagertha's voice was as low as a whisper. "I will support you against Ivar and Hvitserk, if you will support me against King Harald."

"You see," Ubbe leaned closer to the woman's ear. "that would make me an ally of my mother's killer."

"Mhm, I know" Lagertha stated. "Your choices are all difficult, Ubbe. But, for the sake of the good folk of Kattegat, can we not be allies?"

Lagertha lifted her drink to Ubbe and he slowly raised his. Once the clink of the glasses hitting each other was heard, Brynja knew that a deal had been made.

* * *

Ubbe looked at the woman standing next to him. Her stomach had grown so much that she looked like she could pop at any moment. He knew the pregnancy was beginning to weigh her down. As they roamed around Kattegat, he noticed her labored breathing. And, he had asked her multiple times if she needed to rest. But, the stubborn woman told him no every time.

"Do you plan on having children someday?" Brynja asked Ubbe. She saw him staring at her large belly.

"When the time is right," He stated simply.

They walked around looking at what the traders had to offer in peaceful silence for a moment.

"I assume you spoke to Torvi," Ubbe hinted as Brynja stopped in front of a man who was selling jewelry.

"Yes," Brynja answered as her fingers traced over a necklace. "She knows the child is Bjorn's."

"And?" Ubbe knew there had to be more to it.

"And nothing," Brynja shrugged. "We talked about it, she does not hold anything against me or the child."

"What do you think Bjorn will do when he returns?" the question left Ubbe's mouth before he had even thought it through.

Brynja took in a deep breath. Ubbe wasn't sure if it was due to irritation caused by him or discomfort caused by the baby.

"He will choose one of us," Brynja stated as though it was obvious.

He frowned at her answer. "And who do you think he will choose?"

Brynja took her eyes off the necklace that she had been admiring and began to walk again. Both hands rested on her stomach as she waddled.

"He will choose her," she sighed.

"You deserve a better man," Ubbe told her. "I love my brother. But, you deserve a man that will be loyal to you. That is not Bjorn. He is a great man. But, he is not great to women."

"Don't think that I don't value your advice, Ubbe," Brynja began. "But who are you to say what I deserve? I think you deserve better too, but I am not the gods. There is a reason you are with Margrethe. And there is a reason I am carrying your brother's child. Who are we to judge what other people deserve?"

Ubbe didn't respond to what was said. He knew she had a point.

"When did you get so wise?" Ubbe smirked.

"I think it started when a foolish man broke my heart," Brynja chuckled and punched him playfully in the arm.

"Is that so?" Ubbe began to tickle her rib, causing the woman to stop as she giggled and tried to bat his hand away.

Suddenly her eyes widened, and a loud gasp escaped her throat. Ubbe immediately stopped tickling as he searched her eyes to see what was wrong.

Brynja squeezed his hand tightly.

"It's time for the baby, Ubbe."

* * *

 **And that's it for Part One of this chapter!**

 **We all know that Brynja's mother died giving birth... Do you guys think Brynja will face any complications? Will Brynja and the baby both be okay?**

 **If so, what do you think the baby is? A boy or a girl?**

 **And lastly, What do you think will happen when Bjorn returns?**

 **Please leave a review! I love you guys! You're literally the best!**


	13. The Baby: Part Two

**Here it is guys! Part two! I hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 13- The Baby: Part Two

Ubbe waited outside as he heard the sounds of muffled screams. Brynja had been in labor for hours, and he was beginning to worry.

"Ubbe," an exhausted Lagertha shouted as soon as she opened the door. As she approached him, she was wiping sweat off her brow. But, Ubbe's eyes were fixated on the large amount of blood that covered her dress. "The baby is breech. It is possible that neither of them will live."

Tears began to form in his eyes, but he didn't want Lagertha to see him cry.

"Possible?" he asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I do not know yet what will happen," Lagertha spoke softly when she noticed the pain in his eyes. "She is a fighter. But if it becomes clear that she is not fated to win this battle, I will come tell you so that you can say your goodbyes."

Lagertha turned around and quickly made her way back inside to help Brynja and the midwives.

"Lagertha," Ubbe called out. "Do I have time to leave for a moment?"

Lagertha's forehead scrunched in confusion. "Yes." She answered, though she didn't understand what could be so important at the moment.

Ubbe felt as though many moons had past as he waited for some sign as to whether or not Brynja would survive.

He had noticed that her screams had been quieted. At first, the silence worried him. But then he occasionally heard her muffled groans through the door.

He wondered what would happen to the child if Brynja died. He assumed Lagertha or Torvi would take the baby in as their own.

He also wondered what his life would be like without Brynja. Looking back, he could not think of a time that Brynja was not in his life. He loved both his mother and Sigurd, yet he knew Brynja death would have a much larger impact on him than their deaths ever did.

Who would he share his secrets with? Margrethe? He chuckled at the thought. He and his wife had never really talked about those things. Their relationship was mainly physical.

Who would he train with? He would no longer be training with Hvitserk or Ivar. Brynja was the only friend he had left, and he was about to lose her.

"Ubbe," Ashilda emerged from the door. She motioned him to come closer. Obviously, whatever she was about to tell him, she didn't want Brynja to overhear.

As he slowly approached the servant, fear raced throughout his body. He resisted the urge to run away. He didn't want to face the fact that she might be dying. But he couldn't bear the thought of her passing over without him getting to see her one last time.

"Child and mother are both alive," Ashilda offered a small smile as she whispered. "But Brynja lost a great deal of blood. It is unknown whether or not she will make it through the next few days."

Ubbe nodded his head. He knew the news he received was not necessarily good, but it was better than what he thought he would hear.

"Is she awake?" Ubbe asked.

"Yes," Ashilda's smile grew a little larger. "The first thing she said after she was handed the child was that she wanted to see you. But she is weak, Ubbe."

Ubbe entered the room slowly as his eyes immediately found Brynja.

The new mother looked down at the child as it slept in her arms. Her dark, sweat-dampened hair seemed to make her pale face look ghostly white. If she weren't moving, Ubbe would have sworn she looked like a dead woman.

"Ubbe," Brynja sobbed as he came closer to her. "Look at my child. Isn't she perfect?"

He looked down at the baby in her arms. He had never seen a child with so much hair. And the fact that it was dark like Brynja's just seemed to make it look even thicker.

"She?" Ubbe smiled. "It's a girl?"

"Yes," Brynja's eyes had yet to leave the baby resting in her arms. "My beautiful Korva."

"That is a beautiful name," Ubbe's heart felt full as he looked down at them. "For a child just as beautiful as her mother."

Ubbe's grip on the necklace had been so tight that he almost forgot he was holding it. Once Lagertha told him Brynja might not survive, Ubbe went to find the trader who had the necklace that the brunette had been looking at earlier.

It was pure gold, and he paid more money for it than he had ever spent on a woman before.

In a sweeping motion, Ubbe had the necklace resting on her chest as he worked to hook it together in the back.

Brynja reached up to feel what was placed around her neck. Once she realized what it was, a sob escaped her throat.

* * *

Margrethe sat on the edge of her bed waiting for her husband to join her.

Her hands shook with rage as she thought about where he was. She had been with Torvi and Lagertha when Ubbe came bursting in. As he told Lagertha about Brynja going into labor, Margrethe saw how his eyes lit up.

She had been suspicious of Ubbe's relationship with the dark-haired shield-maiden for a long time. But, she never thought she would be in their room alone while he was holding her hand throughout childbirth.

She wasn't going to stand for it anymore. She would not share Ubbe with another woman.

* * *

 **Please rate and review!**

 **I decided to make the child a girl because during this time period men obviously preferred boys, and clearly Bjorn wanted it to be a boy.**

 **What do you think will happen when he realizes he has a daughter?**

 **And for those of you who are interested, the name Korva means 'raven' or 'crow'. :) I researched a lot before a found this name, and I just thought it was perfect.**


	14. Love You All!

**What's up guys?**

I promise I have not ditched this story! I am currently half way through the next chapter. But... I'm facing some issues.

First of all, I'm back in school and I'm taking some really time consuming classes this semester. So, it's hard to find time to write.

Secondly, I have a terrible case of writer's block. I love this story and I know what I want to happen, but this chapter just never feels good enough once I read back through it.

I'm trying really hard to get motivated and push out a great chapter. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by Monday evening at the latest.

Thank you all for being so patient.


	15. The Warning

**It's finally up! Thank you all for being so patient! Chapters will be coming out slower, but I promise to continue working on this story.**

 **Some people are saying that The Baby: Part Two still is not showing up for them. I looked it up and many other writers are experiencing the same issue at the moment. Supposedly, it's a glitch that will be fixed eventually.**

 **However, I don't think skipping that chapter will put any of you too far behind. Brynja had issues giving birth, but eventually gave birth to a daughter named Korva. Ubbe (after being told Brynja might die) rushed out and bought the necklace that she had been looking at before she went into labor. And when Margrethe saw Ubbe with Brynja and the baby-she got jealous. So there's a little recap for those of you who couldn't read that chapter.**

 **Also, there is another glitch. Reviews that you write me are not showing up (other writers are having this issue too), and only half of them are being sent to my email. Eventually, this is supposed to be sorted out.**

 **I STILL want to hear your opinions. You can leave me a review and I will see it whenever the system gets fixed, or you can message me privately. :)**

* * *

Chapter 14- The Warning

Ubbe opened the door to see Brynja lying in bed holding the child close to her chest. Upon closer look, he realized that the woman was attempting to breastfeed.

"Ubbe," The woman looked exhausted as she greeted him. It was evident that motherhood had not been treating her well.

Though Brynja was doing well since childbirth, she was still recovering from the blood loss.

The child began to cry as Brynja sighed in frustration. Tears began to swell up in the woman's eyes.

"Korva won't feed," her voice began to crack. "I don't know what to do."

Ubbe approached the mother and rested his hand on her shoulder. As he looked down at the child, he couldn't help but glance at Brynja's exposed breast.

"Perhaps she senses her mother's stress," Ubbe tried to comfort her. "Try to relax."

Brynja closed her eyes and breathed in and out deeply. Once she had regained composure, she brought her crying daughter back up to her breast.

"Floki has returned," Ubbe stated as his eyes left the child. "He says that he has found the land of the gods."

Brynja smiled at the thought of the crazy older man. She had assumed he had died.

"Have you spoken to him?" she asked.

"Yes," Ubbe answered. "And I told him about your beautiful daughter. He plans to come see you soon."

"Ubbe," Brynja gasped. "She's feeding! Look!"

Ubbe looked down to see the baby suckling away on the woman's breast.

"See?" He smiled. "I told you she would feed."

* * *

Margrethe stood hidden behind the door. She fumed as she watched Ubbe glance lovingly down at the brunette woman and her child. The fact that they looked like a happy, little family made her practically seethe.

She didn't understand her husband's relationship with the shieldmaiden. She knew they weren't sleeping together. But she questioned whether or not they had been intimate in the past.

"Ubbe," she called sweetly, making her presence known. The man and the dark-haired woman both turned their attention to her. "Lagertha is looking for you. She is wanting to discuss war plans."

Ubbe nodded his head at the blonde. "I will check on you later," he told Brynja before dismissing himself.

Brynja waited for Margrethe to go away, but quickly noticed that she had no intentions of leaving yet. As the freed servant stood before her, she realized that the woman was waiting until her husband was out of sight.

"I assume you are here to speak with me," Brynja stated as she held Korva close to her chest.

"I see the way you look at my husband," Margrethe spoke slowly as she glared down at the brunette. "He does not want you. He never did and never will. He talks about your foolishness. How you think Bjorn loves you," she let out a dry chuckle. "The only reason he speaks to you is because he pities you."

"You are insecure," Brynja retorted. She had no interest in playing games. "Ubbe would not say such things."

"He is my husband," Margrethe's tone became louder. "But obviously you do not respect the concept of marriage." The blonde sneered as she glared at the baby.

Brynja's heart dropped as she realized that Margrethe's comment was about her child.

"You are nothing to Ubbe. And I want you to stop speaking to him."

"And if I don't?" Brynja questioned.

"Then I will leave him." Margrethe stated simply. "If you value the friendship of my husband so much, you know how much he loves me. It would break his heart if I left. And he would know you are the one to blame."

"Margrethe," the brunette chuckled. "You and I both know that you would not leave Ubbe. Being his wife gives you power. But, I do not care if you go or stay. And honestly, I am not sure Ubbe cares as much as you want to think he does."

* * *

{Six months later}

* * *

Brynja bounced the child on her hip as she searched the crowd for Bjorn's face.

Korva had grown a great deal over the past six months. Her dark hair was long enough that her mother could weave in small braids if she wanted. A line of drool dripped down her chin. And, the tooth growling in her gum caused the child to cry often.

If Brynja stopped swaying or bouncing, Korva would begin to wail.

The shieldmaiden was overcome with excitement once she saw Bjorn. He smiled as he approached her.

His eyes landed on the child in her arms. His smile grew even wider as he observed the thick, dark hair growing on the baby's head. Though he would never say it out loud, he couldn't help to realize that this child was cuter than his other children had been at this age.

"Who is this?" Bjorn spoke softly. Brynja's heart fluttered as she saw the true joy on Bjorn's face.

"Korva, this is your father," Brynja cooed to the baby. "Bjorn, meet Korva, your beautiful daughter."

"Daughter?" Bjorn asked as he reached for the child. Brynja excitedly handed Korva over.

"Yes," she smiled as Bjorn pulled the baby near his chest. "Daughter".

* * *

Brynja stood in the corner with her arms crossed. Ashilda had volunteered to care for Korva so the shieldmaiden could enjoy the night. But, since birth, the child and mother had barely spent any time apart. She was missing her baby and wondering if things were going well.

"Brynja," Lagertha called out as she approached. "May we speak?"

The brunette nodded her head.

"I need your help," Lagertha began. She had lowered her voice so no one would hear the conversation. "I know Margrethe often speaks ill of me. I think she had plans to overthrow me. Can I trust you to watch over her?"

"Of course," Brynja agreed—partly because her own selfish reasons.

As she scanned the crowd, he eyes landed on Margrethe. The blonde was glancing at the queen and the shieldmaiden, as if she somehow knew that she was the topic of their discussion.

Margrethe had not spoken a word to Brynja since she had barged in and demanded that the brunette cut off all ties with Ubbe. She had ignored the former servant's warning. And Ubbe helped her with Korva each day.

"I trust you to report to me if you find that she is conspiring," Lagertha spoke before walking off.

As Brynja continued to watch the crowd of people, her heart began to sink.

She quickly noticed how Bjorn and the foreign princess had been exchanging lustful looks. But, she ignored it.

However, once she saw Bjorn and Torvi talking, she could tell by the woman's face that they were not having a pleasant conversation. Bjorn placed something in his wife's hand, and then the tearful woman departed from the feast.

It was then that Brynja's eyes locked with Bjorn's.

The handsome man began walking towards her and a lump grew in her throat. She knew what was happening.

"Our daughter is beautiful," Bjorn stated.

Brynja nodded her head. She was afraid that if she tried to speak, she would end up in tears.

"I want you to know I will always care for you and our daughter," Bjorn sighed before he continued. "But what I felt for you is no more."

He waited for her to speak, but words never came.

"I have something for you," He stated as he grabbed her hand. He laid a large jewel encrusted medallion in her palm.

"Why?" She forced the word out, making it sound cold and bitter.

"I wanted you to have it," Bjorn spoke softly. He could see the hurt that laid behind her eyes.

"Thank you," Brynja just wanted the conversation to end. "I hope you find happiness with your princess."

* * *

Brynja sat on a set of stairs with her face covered by her hands. She felt so foolish. Foolish for getting involved with Bjorn, foolish for conceiving a child with Bjorn, and foolish for crying over Bjorn. She didn't love him. She didn't understand why losing him hurt her so badly. She assumed maybe the tears were for her daughter. She knew Bjorn would treat her well, but Brynja had always hoped her child would grow up in a happy home with both a mother and a father. Or perhaps her tears were from embarrassment. Not only did she have a child with a married man, but in the end, he left her and his wife on the same night.

"Brynja."

Ubbe's voice startled the woman. She jumped slightly before her eyes landed on him. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"It's alright," Ubbe comforted her. "You never need to hide your tears from me."

"We both knew that Bjorn was never mine to have," Brynja forced a sad chuckle. "It was foolish. And it is foolish now to cry."

"No," Ubbe spoke as he moved to stand closer to her. "He is the father of your child."

"He created my child," Brynja agreed. "But, he has held her once since birth. Perhaps my belief that she needed Bjorn and I together was misguided. He will see her when he desires. But I will be fine on my own. The gods brought me to him to give me my sweet Korva, and I trust that the gods have a purpose for taking him away."

"You are a good mother, Brynja," Ubbe smiled down at her. "Korva is blessed by the gods to have a kind and strong mother."

Brynja's face lit up from hearing Ubbe's compliment. She stood from her seat and made her way closer to the man.

"Here," she opened her palm to reveal the medallion that Bjorn had just given her. "Give it to Margrethe. I do not want it."

"No," Ubbe stated as he closed the medallion in her hand.

He suddenly pulled her into a heated kiss that she quickly returned.

Ubbe backed the brunette against the side of the building.

One hand ran through her dark hair while the other worked to pull up her dress.

Brynja began to feel a sensation between her legs that she had not felt since before she found out she was carrying Korva. In a hurry to feel him inside her, she quickly pulled up her dress.

She gasped deeply as his hardness penetrated her.

* * *

From Margrethe's hiding spot, she watched each thrust shared between her husband and the brunette.

She saw how they looked deep into each other's eyes as they moved up and down.

With each passing moment, the rage in her chest burned brighter and brighter.

She stared at them until Ubbe had emptied his seed into the woman.

Margrethe didn't know when she would act, but she knew that she would make Brynja pay.

* * *

 **I really hope this chapter didn't disappoint. I love my loyal readers! You're amazing!**

 **As stated above, please review or private message me!**


	16. Needing Your Opinions!

Hello!

I've missed you all! Thank you so much for your love and support!

I know I haven't added to this story in literally forever. My father passed away in a boating accident (like a true Viking), and I've really been struggling with his death. Prayers are appreciated as my family continues to suffer the loss of a great man.

This being said, I think I'm finally ready to start writing again! However, I do not think I've done very well with this story and I no longer feel a connection to it. I am considering starting a new story where Ragnar would be the love interest. As much as I love Ubbe, I'm having a hard time thinking up a good storyline where he is the love interest.

Please, please, please let me know what you think. Would you like to see a Ragnar/OC story?


	17. RagnarOC Story has been posted!

First chapter of my Ragnar story is officially up! This does not mean I am abandoning Brynja. I'm just struggling writing this story and I'm taking a break from it. I hope to return to it a better writer.

Please let me know what you think about my new story! It's called "Elora". Honest opinions are always valued opinions!

Love you all,

Callistoscrow


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